NEWPORT NEWS, Va., May 23, 2011 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Newport News Shipbuilding, a division of Huntington Ingalls Industries (NYSE:HII), has completed the dry dock portion of work for the refueling and complex overhaul (RCOH) of the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71). The ship is undergoing its one and only RCOH by the nation's sole designer, builder and refueler of nuclear-powered aircraft carriers.
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Tugboats moved the carrier May 21 from dry dock to a shipyard pier, where it will undergo final outfitting and testing.
"Completing the docking work and undocking the ship is a significant milestone during the RCOH," said Jim Hughes, vice president, In-Service Aircraft Carriers, Newport News Shipbuilding. "This event signifies a transition from what has been a focus on the ship's underwater hull and propulsion plant repair and construction work to the final restoration, outfitting and testing of the ship's systems in support of events like crew move aboard, which all support bringing the ship back to life."
Approximately 3,700 employees are working on the project, which includes refueling the ship's reactors as well as extensive modernization work to thousands of compartments and hundreds of systems. There are approximately 2,500 sailors currently assigned to the ship, and many have contributed directly to the overhaul work effort.
"Team Theodore Roosevelt has shown exemplary dedication in preparing this ship for its return to the water," said Capt. Billy Hart, commanding officer, USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71). "As we rebuild TR space by space and restore function to every system, sailors will shape the ship to serve the nation for 25 more years to come."
Work accomplished while the ship was in dry dock included removing, refurbishing and reinstalling the propeller shafts; installing new improved design propellers; painting the carrier's massive hull; re-preserving nearly 200 tanks, and replacing hundreds of valves, pumps and piping components. Shipbuilders also removed the main mast and the top two levels of the island, replacing them with a new, reconfigured island structure and mast to provide enhanced capability.
Work through re-delivery to the Navy in December 2012 includes completion of installation and testing of combat and electronic systems; overhaul and re-energizing electrical distribution systems; overhaul, repair and testing of propulsion plant systems; habitability upgrades and modernization; crew move-aboard, and installation and testing of aircraft launch and recovery equipment.
USS Theodore Roosevelt arrived at the Newport News shipyard in August 2009 and is the fourth ship of the Nimitz class to undergo this major life-cycle milestone.
Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) designs, builds and maintains nuclear and non-nuclear ships for the U.S. Navy and Coast Guard and provides after-market services for military ships around the globe. For more than a century, HII has built more ships in more ship classes than any other U.S. naval shipbuilder. Employing nearly 38,000 in Virginia, Mississippi, Louisiana and California, its primary business divisions are Newport News Shipbuilding and Ingalls Shipbuilding. For more information, please visit www.huntingtoningalls.com.
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