The USS George Washington (CVN 73), one of the U.S. Navy’s Nimitz-class aircraft carriers, has entered sea trials, marking the final stage of its extensive overhaul and refuelling process. The operation was carried out by Huntington Ingalls Industries Newport News Shipbuilding division, which reported the vessel’s departure from its yard on May 22. After this phase, the carrier is set to return to the Navy, boasting upgraded capabilities and modern systems.
Named after the United States’ first president, USS George Washington is a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, the fourth Navy vessel to carry the name and the sixth of the Nimitz class. Its construction was contracted to Newport News Shipbuilding on December 27, 1982, and the ship officially entered service in 1992, after its keel was laid in August 1986 and christening in July 1990.
The carrier made history in 2008 by being the first U.S. aircraft carrier deployed in Japan. It has been undergoing a comprehensive refuelling and overhaul (RCOH) since August 2017, expected to wrap up in May 2022.
During its time in dry dock as part of the RCOH in 2019, the USS George Washington received considerable upgrades and repairs, both internally and externally. Along with refuelling, Newport News shipbuilders also worked on refurbishing approximately 600 tanks and replacing thousands of valves, pumps, and parts of the piping system.
