Aircraft Carriers

Scratch is absolutely right. The 'Bulbous Bow', to give it it's proper name, serves to reduce drag, increase hydrodynamic efficiency and make for a more stable ride even though as Popeye said CVs are amongst the most stable ships in the world. Less power will be required for a given speed, not much at first glance true, but for a CVN this may add up to a longer reactor core life increasing the (already long) interval between refuellings. For a ship with a projected service life in excess of 50 years this makes it sensible investment. Bulbous bows have been fitted to large merchant vessls for decades as a way of improving fuel efficiency and thus profitability. The introduction of this feature to the CVN-77 and subsequent carriers will also allow the option of fitting Bow thrusters for easier berthing and improved combat manouverability at sea, as they will allow the carrier to turn more quickly than with rudders alone, although I'm not sure I'd want to be on board when that order was given...

some google pix of carriers
India (Mumbai) and Brazil (Rio de Janeiro)

Obi Wan sez;

The introduction of this feature to the CVN-77 and subsequent carriers will also allow the option of fitting Bow thrusters for easier berthing and improved combat manouverability at sea, as they will allow the carrier to turn more quickly than with rudders alone, although I'm not sure I'd want to be on board when that order was given...

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Thanks Obi Wan ..I kinda sorta knew that

You know the USS America(CV-66) was built with a sonar dome but was never in it's 31 year life fitted with sonar. Maybe the USN felt the ship was more stable than other CV's. I was on CV-66 in '81 and I can't say that it was anymore stable than the other CV's I served on. CV's just ride very well.

Obi, I think that pic is of the Nimitz back in November of '90. Here is another view from Nov 90.

bd popeye said:

Hey BLUEJACKET how did the Kitty Hawk ride?

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Before I got onboard, I only had my 18 day ride off the East Coast on CVN-71 for comparison, and that carrier is bigger! Hawk was right at the waterline, and the ride wasn't as smooth- I heard due to 1 bent screw shaft. A CV carries its own fuel besides JP-8 (we once GAVE fuel to a small boy!), plus almost as many aircraft as on CVNs, plus CV-63 is a flagship (CG-5) with a compliment of flag officers with their office gear- so it adds up to a lot of weight!

CV carries its own fuel besides JP-8 (we once GAVE fuel to a small boy!),

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JP-8??? man I am old. All we had back in 'da day was JP-5. For those of you that don't know a "small boy" is a CV's escort i.e. DD,DDG, CG ETC. Small boy?. Yep..When those ships pull allong side a CV they are suddenly small...



Didja know that the USS George Washington(CVN-73) is in the Norfolk Naval shipyad in Porthsmouth VA under going a $300 million USD re-fit prior to her transfer to Yokosuka? The ship is due to be out of the "yards" next fall. It will arrive in Japan probally about a year after that. The mast was recently removed so a new array could be installed. Please read.

GW Removes Mast, Begins Capstone Installation
Story Number: NNS061114-16
Release Date: 11/14/2006 3:35:00 PM

By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Jennifer Crowell, USS George Washington Public Affairs

PORTSMOUTH, Va. (NNS) -- USS George Washington (CVN 73) (GW) successfully marked its first milestone of the Planned Incremental Availability plus Docking (PIA+D) Nov. 10 as the ship’s main mast was removed nearly three weeks ahead of schedule for the installation of the new capstone suite.

Norfolk Naval Shipyard (NNSY) contracted a portable crane similar to what is used to build roller coasters to remove the ship’s main mast. Previous capstone installations involved removing the main mast in sections, but the shipyard was able to remove GW’s mast in one piece. The ship’s new mast will also be installed as one piece, saving time and money.

“The capstone is a group of 14 ship alterations that provide new warfighting capabilities to the ship,” said Lt. Cmdr. Ralph Roe, GW’s combat systems maintenance officer and capstone coordinator. “The process gives the ship far more capabilities when we’re with the battle group, making us a more effective unit.”

In addition to replacing the main mast, the ship’s radar and weapons systems will be replaced or upgraded.

“We’re adding a system called ship’s self defense systems (SSDS),” Roe added. “The ship is also receiving a feature known as the cooperative engagement capability.”

One of the upgrades in progress includes upgrading the close-in weapons system (CIWS) mounts.

"The CIWS mounts are being changed to the Block 1 Bravo, which are far superior CIWS mounts with optical sighting,” Roe added.

Additionally, the MK 23 Target Acquisition System (TAS), the fire control radar for the NATO Sea Sparrow missile system, will be seeing its own upgrade as the SPQ 9 replaces it. Three directors for GW’s missile systems have already been sent to the depot for refurbishing, he explained. When they come back, they’ll go in different locations to provide better weapons coverage.

“It’s going to provide us weapons coverage so any area of the ship will be covered by two different weapons for self defense reasons. The cooperative engagement capability allows us to interact more effectively with other ships in the battle group,” he said.

Approximately 30 spaces aboard are also receiving a new look during the upgrade.

“The entire combat direction center (CDC) is being ripped out and redesigned and reinstalled, so the look and feel of the CDC area will be different,” he said. “We’ve completely gutted a couple of our spaces where new equipment will be installed.”

“It’s a tremendous effort with the Norfolk Naval Shipyard, contractors and ship’s force,” said Roe. “It’s a monumental project, and the amount of coordination that has taken place so far is a beautiful thing.”

GW is undergoing a $300 million shipyard availability at NNSY as it prepares to relieve USS Kitty Hawk (CV 63) as the Navy’s forward-deployed aircraft carrier in Japan in 2008.

bd popeye said:

Didja know that the USS George Washington(CVN-73) is in the Norfolk Naval shipyad in Porthsmouth VA under going a $300 million USD re-fit prior to her transfer to Yokosuka? The ship is due to be out of the "yards" next fall. It will arrive in Japan probally about a year after that.

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They certainly are going to make her more capable! I wonder if they'll send her around the Horn or across the Atlantic, Med, and the Indian Ocean (deploying in the ME at the same time) on the way to Japan? The latter option will save a long trip around S.America & Pacific- unless Panama Canal gets wider by that time (which is doubtful)!

new video about Russian carrier flight training-

BLUEJACKET sez;

They certainly are going to make her more capable! I wonder if they'll send her around the Horn or across the Atlantic, Med, and the Indian Ocean (deploying in the ME at the same time) on the way to Japan? The latter option will save a long trip around S.America & Pacific- unless Panama Canal gets wider by that time (which is doubtful)!

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Probally around the tip of South America. Why? Because the turnover and "crossdecking" for Midway & Indy. The Indy and Hawk all took place in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. We shall see. Don't think the Panama canal will be that wide that soon....

Nice video. Those Russians seem to have a lot of safety violations. Of course they are Russians. the flight deck looks empty. Devoid of action. Nice video though.

Here is of a pic of the Midway and Indy at Pearl in '91. My pic of the Indy and Hawk will not load.

Interesting video... wish I spoke Russian! I noticed the flight deck crew don't seem to use the colour coded jackets favoured by western crews (or at least they weren't much in evidence here). The Russians to their credit have managed to keep both ship and airgroup operational since the fall of the Soviet Union despite a shoestring defence budget, and for those who regard subs, DDGs and FFGs as much more important to a Navy than a carrier, consider how many of the latter types were allowed to rot at their moorings in order to divert scarce funds to keeping the Kuznetzov project alive. I think the Russians have their priorities right in this case, as a few extra subs and destroyers will not have anywhere near as much impact ploitically and militarily as a CV. They have done remarkable job with only a single carrier and half an air group, and hopefully this will lead to a new generationof CVs in the next decade (finances allowing). They can probably get away with all the safety violations due to the low intensity of operations caused by the general lack of aircraft but should they ever manage to increase numbers to western levels then a serious re examination of procedures will surely follow, hopefully before sailors start getting 'eaten' by jet intakes in large numbers and have other mishaps too.

Most of the action in the video takes place on a simulated flight deck on the Black Sea coast in Crimea, Ukraine. It was built before the SU ceased to exist, and I guess it's cheaper to lease it than build a new one in the Russian North, + there are more fair weather days in the South!

the flight deck looks empty.

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-Unlike USN carriers, the Russain one doesn't keep as many jets parked on the flight deck, + those fighters are going to be mostly for air-to air missions, not air to ground- hence less activity, & their ground attack Su-25 carries more ordinance than an F/A-18.

Probally around the tip of South America. Why? Because the turnover and "crossdecking" for Midway & Indy. The Indy and Hawk all took place in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. We shall see. Don't think the Panama canal will be that wide that soon.../QUOTE]- If the ice cover disappears in the Arctic Ocean during summer, as is being predicted by climatologists, do you foresee going around N. America (it will take less distance/time) instead and have crossdecking in Japan?

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If the ice cover disappears in the Arctic Ocean during summer, as is being predicted by climatologists, do you foresee going around N. America (it will take less distance/time) instead and have crossdecking in Japan?

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Huh?? Say what?? Nope. BLUEJACKET where do you come up with this stuff?

CV-62, CV-63, CV-64,CVN-70, CVN-72, CVN-76..Even CVAN-65 back in the "day" all transited from east to west around South america. CVN-74 left Norfolk went to the MED, IO and Pacific for a 6 month deployment to transit to San Diego. Why would the USN change????