Shipbuilders Wesley Smith (left) and Clay O’Brien connect a time capsule to the inside of the principle mast of the USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) as a part of the mast -stepping ceremony [Photo: Ashley Cown/HII]
Huntington Ingalls Industries (NYSE: HII) Newport News Shipbuilding (NNS) division final week marked a milestone within the $3 billion refueling and complicated overhaul (RCOH) of the nuclear plane service USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74). NNS shipbuilders and USS John C. Stennis sailors held a mast-stepping ceremony that continued an historical maritime customized of inserting a coin beneath the ship’s mast to carry luck. A time capsule containing pictures, a chunk of the previous mast, a number of cash and different artifacts will probably be hooked up to the inside of the principle mast.
“It’s always great making significant progress and checking off major accomplishments during this RCOH period – today is yet another triumph by this team,” stated Capt. J. Patrick Thompson III, the ship’s commanding officer. “This mast stepping allows us to acknowledge our past as we move into the future. Today we place a number of items in our time capsule to weld to the mast – to honor this moment in history, and more importantly to honor the workers and Stennis crew members helping us prepare the ship for another 25 years.”
The ceremony adopted a significant milestone this spring when the shipyard put in the ship’s new principal mast, which raises the service’s distinctive profile 123 ft above the flight deck. This marks the primary RCOH throughout which the mast was put in multi function part utilizing a brand new 315-ton crane that HII invested in to assist the RCOH program.
“When the mast lands on the carrier, it represents one of the most visible construction milestones in the overhaul,” stated Rob Check, NNS vice chairman, in-service plane service packages. “Our highly skilled shipbuilders are working with our Navy partners, our suppliers and numerous contractors to recapitalize this ship and deliver her back to the Navy for another 25 years of service.”
The RCOH course of is carried out solely as soon as in the course of the ship’s 50-year lifetime and includes upgrades to almost each house and system on the ship. Tanks, the hull, shafting, propellers, rudders, piping, air flow, electrical, fight and aviation assist techniques are repaired, upgraded and modernized. Work additionally consists of defueling and refueling the ship’s two nuclear reactors, and repairs, upkeep and upgrades to the propulsion plant.
The RCOH represents 35% of all upkeep and modernization in an plane service’s service life.
