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Northrop Grumman Newport News
reached a construction milestone by lowering the
final keel section of the George H. W. Bush
(CVN 77) aircraft carrier into place.
(Photo by Chris Oxley)
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The 700-ton lower bow unit was
joined to the other keel sections in the dry dock
and completes the length of the carrier, which
is as long as the Empire State Building is tall.
(Photo by John Whalen)
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The George H. W. Bush
is the second carrier to have the new bulbous
bow design that provides more buoyancy to the
forward end of the ship and improves hull efficiency.
(Photo by Chis Oxley)
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NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – March 8, 2005 – Northrop Grumman
Corporation (NYSE: NOC) reached a construction milestone
by lowering the final keel section of the George
H. W. Bush (CVN 77) aircraft carrier into place.
The 700-ton lower bow unit was joined to the other keel
sections in the dry dock and completes the length of
the carrier, which is as long as the Empire State Building
is tall.
“It’s an awesome sight to see the lower bow unit join-up
with the rest of the ship. It really starts to take
the shape of a carrier now, and this important milestone
brings us one step closer to our launch goal,” said
Scott Stabler, vice president for the CVN 77 program
at Northrop Grumman's Newport News sector.
Newport News is building the George H. W. Bush
using modular construction, a process where smaller
sections of the ship are welded together to form units
called super-lifts. These super-lifts are hoisted and
lowered into dry dock with the sector’s massive 900-ton
crane. The lower bow unit is the 98th of 161 super-lifts
used to build the carrier.
Made up of 13 steel sections, the lower bow is one
of the heaviest super-lifts and is the last major section
of the ship below the waterline to be lowered into place
in the dry dock. The George H. W. Bush is the
second carrier to have the new bulbous bow design that
provides more buoyancy to the forward end of the ship
and improves hull efficiency. Construction began on
the lower bow last March.
The George H. W. Bush is the tenth and final
Nimitz-class aircraft carrier. It will incorporate many
new design features including an updated aviation fuel
distribution system and new marine sewage system. The
controls on the carrier's bridge and propulsion plant
will be automated and other key technologies being evaluated
for incorporation include the development of a composite
main mast and enhancements to the ship's computing architecture
and mission planning capability. The George H. W.
Bush’s keel was laid in 2003. The christening will
occur in 2006 with delivery to the U.S. Navy in 2008.
Northrop Grumman Newport News, headquartered in Newport
News, Va., is the nation's sole designer, builder and
refueler of nuclear-powered aircraft carriers and one
of only two companies capable of designing and building
nuclear-powered submarines. Newport News also provides
after-market services for a wide array of naval and
commercial vessels. The Newport News sector employs
about 19,000 people.
CONTACT:
Jennifer Dellapenta
Northrop Grumman Newport News
757-380-3558
Jennifer.Dellapenta@ngc.com
