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Carl Vinson Prepares to Rotate, Radiate in the James River

Navy NewsStand

Story Number: NNS090418-05
Release Date: 4/18/2009 5:42:00 PM

By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Mark Erks, USS Carl Vinson Public Affairs

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. (NNS) -- USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) carried out maneuvers April 17 by conducting a complete turn at Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding (NGSB) in order to aid in the final phases of refueling complex overhaul (RCOH).

Three and a half years after entering RCOH, the "turn ship" evolution marked a major milestone as the aircraft carrier moved to a new position at the pier in order to facilitate final testing in preparation for sea trials and re-delivery to the fleet.

"With the Carl Vinson turned," said Lt. Chris Purcell, assistant navigator, "key departments on board, such as Combat Systems Department (CSD) and Air Operations (AIR OPS), can finish testing their equipment and the shipyard can access the portside of the ship more easily."

CSD has many types of radar that need to be tested, and with the ship in the new position, they can complete this critical effort to ensure that everything works properly.

"We have sea trials coming soon," said Chief Electronics Technician (SW/AW) Valerie Sellers from CSD CS-6 division, "so we need to test our primary and secondary radars that search for aircraft so that we will be able to deliver accurate information."

AIR OPS has also been waiting for this moment for a long time. Ever since the ship came into the shipyard, their equipment has lain dormant as their working spaces underwent renovation. Now that the ship has been turned, the revamped equipment and spaces are ready to undergo final testing.

"This will be the first test run since we came into the yards," said Air Traffic Controller 1st Class (AW/SW) Reggie Zacarias, "and it's very important to test our equipment so that we can be ready for precision approaches with aircraft as we become fully operational."

The ship's new position will be such that its stern will now face the James River. Beneficiaries of this new position will also be other departments such as Engineering and Reactor who will now be able to engage propulsion systems for further testing as well.

"This signifies another important milestone for our shipbuilding and Navy team," said Jim Hughes, vice president of Aircraft Carrier Overhauls and Carrier Fleet Support.

"We have been working together as a single entity on this very large and complex project and are extremely excited about getting this great ship one step closer to being back where she belongs, at sea, in support of our nation's defense," Hughes said. "My hat is off to the entire project team."

With this major milestone completed, the "Gold Eagle" and her crew can continue to move forward in preparing for upcoming sea trials to become mission ready as the most state-of-the-art aircraft carrier in the fleet.

For more news from USS Carl Vinson, visit www.navy.mil/local/cvn70/.