USS Ronald Regan CVN-76 Commissioned

[BladeLWS 0]

Last week the worlds most powerful Navy greeted its newest and most powerful vessel into service. She is the last of the Nimitz Class Aircraft Carriers. The next series (CVNX), is to begin construction soon. You can view the commission of the 9th Nimitz class here http://www.news.navy.mil/management/videodb/html/live.html

[Guest]

The Reagan is not the last of the Nimitz Carriers George H.W. Bush (CVN 77) will be. The Christening will occur in 2006 with delivery to the Navy in 2008. Advanced design work on the first new generation carrier, CVN 21, is underway at Newport News with construction slated to begin in 2007http://www.avsim.com/pages/robert/kirkland.jpg

[BladeLWS 0]

YES! But it isn't really a Nimitz class Flight A, its the first and LAST ship of the Nimitz class Flight B. It will incorporate a new island, and lots of other systems. Sorry I worded it wrong. http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/ship/cvn-77.htm

[Guest]

That looks great...

[Guest Iain Spowart]

WOW! Amazing looking ship! I think it's funny though talking about making it stealthy - I mean it must be at least 300m long and displacing almost 100,000 tonnes!Also, what on earth are "gravity compensated weapons handling devices"? Sounds like science-fiction to me!Iain Spowart,Scotland.Webmaster and photographer,Scottish Rockettes Dance Squad Official Web-Sitehttp://avsim.iainspowart.com/rockettes.gifhttp://www.scottishrockettes.comScottish Claymores Cheerleaders Fan Sitehttp://www.claymorescheerleaders.comMotorsport Photographyhttp://www.iainspowart.com

[BladeLWS 0]

Special carts designed to transport weapons throughout the ship. Also there has been some info that CVN-77 will encorporate electromagnetic rail-guns built into the deck, with over a 100 mile range.

[RobertVA 0]

Also:The US Navy only has funding to operate 12 carriers. They now have 13. The Constelation (dipicted off the entrance to San Fransisco Bay in many versions of Microsoft Flight Simulator) is due to be decomissioned in early August 2003. Kitty Hawk, based overseas in Japan, is older, but had a more extensive overhaul last time she was in the yard. Currently the Japanese government has restrictions on baseing nuclear powered vessals in their ports. After the decommissioning of the Constelation, the only remaining conventional powered US carriers will be the Kitty Hawk and JFK.

[BladeLWS 0]

The JFK is based in Mayport Flordia, I think she is doing training for new pilots at Pensacola.