Brenda Marie Rivers
Huntington Ingalls Industries has landed the final part of a new main mast for the U.S. Navy's sixth Nimitz-class USS George Washington aircraft carrier.
HII Newport News Shipbuilding’s installation of the 34-foot upper mast marks the 50-percent completion mark for the refueling and complex overhaul work for CVN 73, HII said Friday.
George Washington’s sailors facilitated a mast-stepping ceremony at the shipyard on Friday to commemorate the event.
The nuclear-powered vessel is currently in dry dock for refurbishment operations such as power plant defueling and refueling; painting and blasting the hull and freeboard; and other repair work for sea chests, propellers, shafts and rudders.
“We are making significant progress with George Washington and look forward to returning a fully recapitalized, mission-ready ship to the fleet for another 25 years of service,†said Chris Miner, vice president of in-service aircraft carrier programs at Newport News.
CVN 73 entered the engineering and construction phase in 2017 and is slated for delivery in 2021.
