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NEWPORT NEWS SHIPBUILDING LIFTS NEWLY
DESIGNED ISLAND HOUSE ATOP AIRCRAFT CARRIER RONALD REAGAN
(CVN 76)
NEWPORT NEWS, Va., November 11, 2000 – In a
key milestone in the construction of the Nimitz-class
carrier Ronald Reagan (CVN 76), the 650-ton island
house was placed atop the ship's flight deck today at
Newport News Shipbuilding (NYSE: NNS).
The island house lift was commemorated with a brief
ceremony at which the prospective commanding officer
of the ship, Captain John W. (Bill) Goodwin, placed
underneath the island house the gold aviator wings from
his uniform and a national coin based upon one of President
Ronald Reagan's "Four Pillars of Freedom."
The medallion, inscribed with the words "national
pride," is crafted in pure silver and covered with
24K gold and was sculpted by the Northwest Territorial
Mint for the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation.
The island house for the Reagan is a new design
from other Nimitz-class carriers and was created
for the first time in a three-dimensional product model
environment. Changes to the island include the addition
of a new outboard weapons elevator, a new mainmast,
a new aft mast and a new topside antennae arrangement.
"The carrier Ronald Reagan is
an important part of the transition to the new class of
carriers currently being designed," said Scott Stabler,
vice president, Aircraft Carrier Construction at Newport
News Shipbuilding. "In addition to the many changes
on the Island, the ship, when delivered will include multiple
capability enhancements such as new aircraft arresting
gear, an expanded fiber optic backbone and a bulbous bow
which will help it sail more efficiently.
"The new design also incorporates life
cycle cost saving initiatives that allow future design
change and system upgrades to be completed in a more cost
effective manner," added Stabler.
The Reagan will be christened at
Newport News Shipbuilding on March 4, 2001. Mrs. Ronald
Reagan will serve as the ship's sponsor. Delivery of Reagan
is scheduled for 2003.
Newport News Shipbuilding designs and constructs
nuclear-powered aircraft carriers and submarines for the
U.S. Navy and provides life-cycle services for ships in
the Navy fleet. The company employs nearly 17,000 people
and has annual revenues of approximately $2 billion. Visit
NNS on the Web at www.nns.com.
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