Aircraft Carrier Not For Sale. As New. Not Cheap.
Date: Saturday, July 12 @ 19:49:47 UTC
Topic: w00t!


The USS Reagan was commissioned today, penultimate of an illustrious line of Nimitz-class nuclear supercarriers.

Other than issuing the order to man the ship as part of the commissioning ceremony, Nancy Reagan, who turned 82 on Sunday, did not speak, though she drew a standing ovation from the crowd when she was introduced. This is the first time a carrier has been named after a living president, although Reagan will probably never understand it. Alzheimer's and all that.

Two years ago, when the ship was christened before final completion, she broke the traditional bottle of sparkling wine over the bow, as President Bush looked on.

The carrier, built by a division of Northrop Grumman in nearby Newport News, Virginia, will replace the USS Constellation, which is being decommissioned after returning from service in the Iraq war.

The ship is almost 1,100 feet long and rises 20 stories above the water, with a flight deck covering 4.5 acres. Design work on the ship began in 1995, and the keel was laid in 1998.

The USS Ronald Reagan is the ninth Nimitz class carrier built for the Navy since 1975. Cheney noted that four of those ships were built as part of Reagan's military buildup.

photos inside...

More photos here

http://www.reagan.navy.mil/

General Characteristics, Nimitz Class Builder: Newport News Shipbuilding Co., Newport News, Va. Power Plant: Two nuclear reactors, four shafts Length, overall: 1,092 feet (332.85 meters) Flight Deck Width: 252 feet (76.8 meters) Beam: 134 feet (40.84 meters) Displacement: Approx. 97,000 tons (87,996.9 metric tons) full load Speed: 30+ knots (34.5+ miles per hour) Aircraft: 85 Cost: about $4.5 billion each





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