USS George H.W. Bush

[Dr Mordrid]

CVN 77, the USS George H. W. Bush, last of the Nimitz class, is being commissioned for service today. While still a Nimitz class ship, CVN 77 differs significantly from her predecessors, even more so than the differences between CVN 68–70 and CVN 71–76.

(CVN 78 will be the USS Gerald R. Ford, first of the Ford class. While still based on the Nimitz hull there are extreme differences internally; magnetic catapults, provisions & power for directed energy weapons etc.)



Link...

Navy to commission USS George H.W. Bush

Saturday, January 10, 2009

Former President George H. W. Bush will be honored for his military career when the U.S. Navy commissions its new aircraft carrier Saturday at Naval Station Norfolk.

The president's son, President Bush, will speak as the Navy commissions the 1,092-foot CVN-77, which will be named the USS George H.W. Bush.

"The president is honored to participate in the commissioning of the USS George H.W. Bush both as the commander in chief and as a proud son," White House spokesman Carlton F. Carroll told The Washington Times.

On Friday, workers finished the last details on the nuclear-powered carrier, which towers 20 stories above the waterline and has a flight deck width of 252 feet. More than 10,000 people are expected to attend the 11 a.m. event Saturday, according to Navy officials.

Dorothy "Doro" Bush Koch, the former president's daughter, will give the order to "man our ship and bring her to life," following tradition.

Mr. Bush, 84, is a decorated Navy pilot in World War II. After the attack on Pearl Harbor, Mr. Bush, who was then 18, decided to join the Navy. After finishing his 10-month course, he became the youngest naval aviator to that date.

Mr. Bush flew the Avenger torpedo bomber in combat from the carrier USS San Jacinto. He nearly lost his life during an attack on enemy installations near Chichi Jima in September 1944, when his plane was hit by enemy fire and heavily damaged. Nevertheless, he completed a strafing run on the target before bailing out of the doomed craft.

Mr. Bush parachuted into the sea and was rescued by the Navy submarine USS Finback.

Mr. Bush flew 58 combat missions. He received the Distinguished Flying Cross, three Air Medals and the Presidential Unit Citation, which was awarded to his squadron based on the USS San Jacinto.

Los Angeles Capt. Kevin O'Flaherty, who graduated from the Naval Academy in 1981, will be the new carrier's first commanding officer. He will lead a crew of more than 5,500 men and women, including embarked air wing personnel, according to Defense officials. The USS Bush will initially homeport in Norfolk and be assigned to the U.S. Atlantic Fleet.

Construction of the 10th Nimitz-class ship began at Northrop Grumman-Newport News, Va., in September 2006.

The ship will support the F/A-18C Hornet and F/A-18E/F Super Hornet strike fighters, the E-2C/D Hawkeye Airborne Early Warning aircraft, the C-2 Greyhound logistics aircraft, the EA-6B Prowler and the EA-18G Growler electronic warfare aircraft, multi-role SH-60 and MH-60 helicopters and other future carrier-based aircraft, according to a Defense Department news release.

The USS George H.W. Bush will be the 77th aircraft carrier to be delivered to the Navy since 1922, when the Navy commissioned the USS Langley.

The aircraft carrier will be the 10th and final Nimitz-class carrier and the ninth in the Navy's fleet.

[Mehen]

Magnetic catapults? Is that for launching planes or for launching stuff at planes?

[Nowhere]

Why would they launch stuff at their own planes? (I assume it's practically impossible for any plane that isn't "theirs" to get anywhere near any carrier...if that's happen during wartime, that'd mean they've "lost"...)

[Dr Mordrid]

Magnetic catapults? Is that for launching planes or for launching stuff at planes?

EMALS = Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System

For launching manned and unmanned combat aircraft and drones.

Previous carriers have used steam catapults to launch planes. Problem is they're complex, large and don't have low power modes for drones. Electromagnetic catapults are simpler, smaller and have a much wider power band. They work like maglev trains.

[Nowhere]

And I imagine that some large capacitors is what runs them, directly at least? (that's what "provisions & power for directed energy weapons etc." is?)

[Dr Mordrid]

The new supercarriers will have two nuclear reactors with a combined output 3 times that of previous designs, which in one case had four smaller reactors (CVN-65 - USS Enterprise, which is to be decommissioned ~2013, or sooner) .

These new boats will run over 30 years without refueling.

BTW: did you know the Big E is still the longest naval vessel in the world, longer than the Nimitz or Ford class supercarriers? 1,123 feet (342.3 m) vs. 1,092 feet (332.8 m)

[Nowhere]

Though with only 10m of a difference one wonders if they don't do it on purpose (I've heard it's also significantly faster then Nimitz?)

And yeah, I imagine they made some improvements to power plants...however nuclear reactors can't change the output very abruptly, so I'm guessing there needs to be a temporary "storage" for large amounts of energy, when it's needed in "bursts", hence my question.

(edit: and I just noticed that, while correcting previous post, I've edited out mention about "capacators"...so nvm )

[Dr Mordrid]

Capacitor banks.

[Technoid]

the only thing missing is the Navy swing wing variation of the F-22