The Building of America's next "super" Carrier

The US Navy's next super carrier will be CVN-77, George HW Bush, named after the father of the current President, a former President himself.

This carrier will be the last of the Nimitz class, will replace the USS Kitty Hawk, CV-61, and will be the transitional carrier into the new CVN-21 class of carriers, the first of which will be commissioned in 2013.

I thought those on this forum would enjoy seeing the construction pictures of this carrier over the last two years. CVN-77 will be commissioned in 2008.

Here are those construction pictures:


Mar 2003 - Setting of the 800 ton double bottom in dry dock no. 12


Aug 2003 - Workup


Sep 2003 - Keel laying


Jan 2004 - Work up from keel


Jun 2003 - Working to the Rudders

(Finishing - Page 2)


Dec 2004 - NIght work at dry dock no. 12


Mar 2005 - Bow lifting


Aug 2005 - Major buildup

Great photos Jeff! they just bring home how big a task building a super carrier will be! I'm suprised they gave it that name given that he was still in power relatively recently! and given that the current incumbent in the whitehouse is his son.

You mentioned the CVN-21 the next generation of carrier i heard that the US navy was developing electro magnetic catapults for use on these, Is this the case?

Soyuz said:

Great photos Jeff! they just bring home how big a task building a super carrier will be! I'm suprised they gave it that name given that he was still in power relatively recently! and given that the current incumbent in the whitehouse is his son.

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Thanks. It was unusual, but with the success of Desert Storm and the general liking by the military of the older Bush (as well as his son), it is the name chosen.

And, yes! That is my point exactly. Such an undertaking is a HUGE job...even when a nation has lots of experienced at it.

Not that it cannot be done, because every nation has to start somewhere if they desire to do so...just that it is a monumental task.

Soyuz said:

You mentioned the CVN-21 the next generation of carrier i heard that the US navy was developing electro magnetic catapults for use on these, Is this the case?

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Yes, electromagnetic cats and arresting system. Also a power plant that furnishing three times more power than existing reactors...which makes for some interesting self-defense speculation.

See the NIMITZ page on my



site.

the link doesn't work

Spartan00006 said:

the link doesn't work

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Sorry. There was a type in there. I fixed it. But there also seems to be a problem with eithere the domain servers or the file servers where it is hosted because now I cannot see the pics on this thread.

Oh well, please try this again later. It will be well worth it.

Huh! Thats one MAJOR carrier! I wonder how much it costs, and how much money would it take for China to make it unoperational:nono:

Hmm, maybe China should try EMP weapons, since that thing is bound to have plenty of high tech Or maybe a tactical nuke or something like that? Well, what ever it is, China better start desining it FAST!:china:

wow...nice pictures, Jeff!

Thats one helluva ship...amazing!

Seeing this, I have a hard time beliving China will build their own carrier anytime soon. It would be such an massive operation. Unless they go for a much smaller VSTOL/Helo carrier.

Jones Henry said:

I wonder how much it costs

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About $4 billion US to build (not including the air wing), and about $260 million per year (US) to operate.

Jones Henry said:

and how much money would it take for China to make it unoperational:nono:

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Well, they are spending many billions of dollars in total right now to try and build up a naval force that has a chance of challenging one or two of these vessels...the US has 12 of them.

Jones Henry said:

Hmm, maybe China should try EMP weapons, since that thing is bound to have plenty of high tech

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The vessels are hardened against EMP attack.

Jones Henry said:

Or maybe a tactical nuke or something like that? Well, what ever it is, China better start desining it FAST!:china:

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Any use of nukes would invite an overwhelming response from the US in an area where the US enjoys an even greater advantage. Very un-Sun Tsu like. I do not believe the PLAN will play to America's strength in such a confrontation.

Gauntlet said:

wow...nice pictures, Jeff!

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Thanks. I really like the progression they show...over two years time. Another two to go!

Gauntlet said:

Thats one helluva ship...amazing!

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Yes it is. Each of the Nimitz class was built in a similar fashion. This is number ten, so the US has quite a bit of experience and expertise at this point...and these ten were not too much different in terms of hull building than the ten that went before (Forrestal, Kitty Hawk, Enterprise classes) so you could say that the US has experience nown building twenty such ships.

Gauntlet said:

Seeing this, I have a hard time beliving China will build their own carrier anytime soon. It would be such an massive operation. Unless they go for a much smaller VSTOL/Helo carrier.

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I believe they will make the Varyag operational...it is already built. I believe they will also build their own as well...probably not as massive as these. They are 100,ooo tons. They will probably build something more like 40-50,000 tons. Similar in sizer to the French carrier, or the new UK carriers being discussed.