USS REAGAN

[Rick Clark]

Just thought some of you that don't realize what it takes to run a ship this size might be interested in the facts... Please read about the USS Reagan. Also notice the respect that they give the Arizona Memorial when passing it....
The USS REAGAN PASSING THE ARIZONA MEMORIAL

http://static.flickr.com/35/73081190_bc35b6653c.jpg?v=0

BEAUTIFUL!!!!

Boy!!! When the Bridge pipes "Man the Rail" there is a lot of rail to man on this monster. Shoulder to shoulder around 4½ acres. This doesn't give her displacement but it's about 100,000 tons with full complements.



Capability

Top speed exceeds 30 knots
Powered by two nuclear reactors that can operate for more than 20 years without refueling
Expected to operate in the fleet for about 50 years
Carries over 80 combat aircraft
Three arresting cables can stop a 28-ton aircraft going 150 miles per hour in less than 400 feet
Size
Towers 20 stories above the waterline
1092 feet long; nearly as long as the Empire State Building is tall
Flight deck covers 4.5 acres
4 bronze propellers, each 21 feet across and weighing 66,200 pounds
2 rudders, each 29 by 22 feet and weighing 50 tons
4 high speed aircraft elevators, each over 4,000 square feet
Dates

Dec 8, 1994 Contract awarded to Newport News Shipbuilding
Feb 12, 1998 Keel laid
Oct 1, 2000 Precommissioning Unit established
March 4, 2001 Christened by Mrs Nancy Reagan
May 5, 2003 First underway
July 12, 2003 Commissioned
July 23, 2004 Arrived at homeport in San Diego, CA
Capacity
Home to about 6,000 Navy personnel
Carries enough food and supplies to operate for 90 days
18,150 meals served daily
Distillation plants provide 400,000 gallons of fresh water from sea water daily, enough for 2000 homes
Nearly 30,000 light fixtures and 1,325 miles of cable and wiring
1,400 telephones, 14,000 pillowcases and 28,000 sheets
Costs the Navy approximately $250,000 per day for pier side operation
Costs the Navy approximately $2.5 million per day for underway operations (Sailor's salaries included -----------------------------------------
God bless America -
and those who protect her..

[George.]

Expected to operate in the fleet for about 50 years
That's quite a presumption. I believe the only 50-year-old ships still operating in any modern fleet are the couple of WWII battleships in the US Navy. Everything else has long since become obsolete. Why would they think a hugely expensive sitting duck like a carrier will not be rendered obsolete by new weapons in the next half century?

[Ken Hutchins]

The Navy knows it is a hugh sitting duck and has many constantly upgraded defences built in and around the carriers obviously all classified info.

[ 12-13-2005, 08:40 AM: Message edited by: Ken Hutchins ]

[Bill Dodson]

I was lucky enough to be on the team that performed the flight deck qualifications for the Reagan on her first cruise immediately after commissioning. It was quite an experience!

Bill

[WindHawk]

I don't think any of tha U.S. Battleships are still in service.

I wouldn't be surprised if they get 50 out of her, unless the guy who's just mananged to get human stem cells to grow inside the brains of mice "accidently" creates a hybred rodent/human virus that causes a human life-ending epidemic. Conventional & even nuclear war just don't seem to scare me the way they used to anymore.

[Donn]

"The last battleship on active duty was USS Missouri (BB 63) decommissioned Mar. 31, 1992. In the 21st century, there are no battleships in the United States Navy."

http://www.navy.mil/navydata/ships/battleships/bbhistory.html

[Hal Forsen]

Not currently commisioned; but if push came to shove I expect they could get either of the two boats in moth balls up and running and fleet ready in a matter of a few months.
http://www.chinfo.navy.mil/navpalib/ships/battleships/iowa/ia-1984guns.jpg
Go NAVY!
HF

[Rick Clark]

http://www.chin fo.navy.mil/navpalib/ships/carriers/histories/cv14-ticonderoga/cv14-ticonderoga.html (http://www.chinfo.navy.mil/navpalib/ships/carriers/histories/cv14-ticonderoga/cv14-ticonderoga.html)

Web page to the ship I was on. smile.gif
http://static.flickr.com/35/73263539_891a28017a.jpg?v=0
Same type plane of my squadron. It was VX-4 pay 61 was her number out of Point Mugu Naval Air Station Ca.
Now they both have been Decommissioned :(

[ 12-13-2005, 02:52 PM: Message edited by: Rick Clark ]

[Joe ( Cold Spring on Hudson )]

I remember as a kid building a plastic model of the USS Iowa. I always thought that slender bow was cool. That photo of her firing just reminded me of the hrs I had playing with that model.

I always liked the look of the destroyers better than Aircraft carriers.

My Step Grandad was on the USS Long (DD-209/DMS-12)

Shortly after noon, beginning her second run, Long spotted two Mitsubishi A6M Zero “Zekes” heading for her.
Long went to 25 knots and opened fire, but a suicide plane crashed into her portside below the bridge about 1 foot above the waterline. With fires and explosions amidships, Long lost power and internal communications, and was unable to fight fires forward. Her commanding officer, Lt. Stanley Caplin, fearing an explosion in the forward magazine, gave permission for men trapped on the forecastle to leave the ship, but through misunderstanding, the crew aft abandoned ship. All were quickly rescued by Hovey (DMS-11) standing by to aid the burning but still seaworthy ship.

[Rick Clark]

Joe
I lost an uncle at Perl and one that made it home, he is 93 and doing pretty good for an old fart ( as he says ) smile.gif

Did your Grand Pappy make it home OK?

Destroyers A aircraft carrier best friend!!!!
One of my closet friends, he and I have coffee every night together, along with a ground pound-er, and couple jar heads.

We don't talk to much of the old days, just motorcycles, boats, ladies, and not even work.
Just time to relax smile.gif

[Meerkat]

What is likely to make the Reagan obsolete long before 50 years is the impending move to UAV's. Something a lot smaller could field the same number of aircraft.

Destoyers are not an AC's best friend - Aegis cruisers are! ;)

[Rick Clark]

I was hoping someone would catch that. Your'a thinking!! smile.gif

[J. Dillon]

Rick , Were you an "Airdale " ?

I served on this one, ships company airdale

JD

http://www.chinfo.navy.mil/navpalib/ships/carriers/histories/cv43-coralsea/cv43-coralsea.html

[Donn]

It'll be a lot longer than 50 years before UAV's can replace jet fighters/fighter bombers.

Imagine something like the Reagan, refit as a chopper carrier, moving into a hurricane relief effort in the Gulf of Mexico.

[J. Dillon]

Donn , Maybe by 50 years from now the USS Reagan will be doing rescue work along the flooded U.S. east coast. :rolleyes:

JD

[Donn]

Hopefully, I won't be around to let you know. :D

[J. Dillon]

Me too , but think of our grandchildren. :eek:

Does anybody remamber that scene of the statute of liberty in "Planet of the apes " ?

JD :rolleyes:

[Donn]

Planet of the Apes is fiction, and my grandkids live in Chicago.

[Rick Clark]

J. Dillon

Rick , Were you an "Airdale " ?

I served on this one, ships company airdale

JD
Yes I was the plane captain for an A4D, Unit VX4 pay 61 was the # That reminds me the first day I thought I was going to starve as I could not find the mess hall. Dam big canoe I said to myself.

But they were the good old days, slept right under the catapult Port-side, that's when I found out I could sleep through anything 0200 hr. sorties half the time never heard them.

Thanks JD woke me up some, memories not as bad as I thought
Rick

Edit Planet of the apes I never watched it did not like what's name?

[ 12-13-2005, 06:05 PM: Message edited by: Rick Clark ]

[Meerkat]

Originally posted by Donn:
It'll be a lot longer than 50 years before UAV's can replace jet fighters/fighter bombers.

The Pentagon, and Boeing, seem to think otherwise.

[Donn]

Of course they do, and now you're quoting (supposedly) the Pentagon, and a large corporation. :rolleyes:

[J. Dillon]

Rick,

Slept under the # 3 wire. Was a plane captain for a F8F Bearcat. Catapults and arresting wires both noisy places on noisy shps. :( Oh for the silent service. ;)
JD

[Ken Hutchins]

Destroyers A aircraft carrier best friend!!!!
The carriers of today also have some good friends you can't see, they are down below the surface keeping the bottom side safe. ;)

[Terry Etapa]

The best air crew is a pilot and a dog. The pilot is there to feed the dog. The dog is there to bite the pilot if he tries to touch anything.

X-45 (http://www.boeing.com/defense-space/military/x-45/index.html)

Think about how much the aircraft and computer have changed in the last 50 years. If you could get the computing power required on the X-45 out of a vintage 1955 computer, it would take an aircraft carrier just to hold the computer.

[ 12-13-2005, 07:59 PM: Message edited by: Terry Etapa ]

[Ken Hutchins]

Just out for a quick spin around the pond.
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid134/p9c8cef695a6c91804a2e3134005eed72/f7778474.jpg

[Rick Clark]

JD That #3 was the safty wire, and I did see some go off the end, polit forgot to throttle up and WEEEEEEEEEE in the drink.
OK I would sneak into the chain locker, good hidden place.

Hey Ken nice port turn, I wonder what they lost????

Terry Etapa My X was a computer tech. at the hospital I watch the air conditioning room grow real big back in the 60-70's just to make them work.

[ 12-13-2005, 09:11 PM: Message edited by: Rick Clark ]

[Ken Hutchins]

Sea trials of the Nimitz, hang on, nobody allowed on the flight deck.

[Rick Clark]

AMEN to that.

Gotta go NCIS is on
Later MEN AND LADIES

[ 12-13-2005, 09:26 PM: Message edited by: Rick Clark ]

[Paul Girouard]

Originally posted by Donn:
It'll be a lot longer than 50 years before UAV's can replace jet fighters/fighter bombers.

Imagine something like the Reagan, refit as a chopper carrier, moving into a hurricane relief effort in the Gulf of Mexico.Seems that already happened ;

"We have several ships in the area including USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75), USS Bataan (LHD 5) and USS Iwo Jima (LHD 7), which are the big ships that are down there, but we also have USS Shreveport (LPD 12) and USS Tortuga (LSD 46) with significant helo capability, which has allowed us to rescue many people.

Truman, Reagan ,TR CVN- 71 are all Nimitz class nukie carriers.

My squardon VAQ-141 did both shakedown cruises on both TR and Lincoln , CAG -8 at the time .

They used our CAG, so they say cuz we had shook down TR and did one cruise on that type deck . On Lincoln we went to Mr.leftys, Dougs, Tabago project location . Trinidad / Tabago, back in 1989 or 90. Funny deal, was we spent 4 days in port when we pulled back out to sea there was a political coup d`e-tat in our wake so to speak.

http://www.navsource.org/archives/02/027248.jpg

Our berthing on both boats was all the way aft on the 03 level right under the round down . I worked mostly night check and slept better when we where flying , sort of something about cyclic ops. That is soothing ;) Paul

[ 12-13-2005, 10:47 PM: Message edited by: Paul Girouard ]

[Paul Girouard]

Originally posted by J. Dillon:
Donn , Maybe by 50 years from now the USS Reagan will be doing rescue work along the flooded U.S. east coast. :rolleyes:

JDThen we have first on station in Bandi Achie http://www.navsource.org/archives/09/09121912.jpg

Mercy (T-AH-19) navigates alongside Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) after arriving on station near Banda Aceh, Sumatra, Indonesia, 3 February 2005. Mercy was forward deployed to assist in humanitarian aid efforts in the wake of the Tsunami that struck South East Asia (26 December 2004) and would serve as an enabling platform to assist humanitarian operations ashore in ways that host nations and international relief organizations found useful. U.S. Navy photo by PH3 Gabriel R. Piper (# 050203-N-6020P-181).

[Paul Girouard]

Originally posted by Ken Hutchins:
Just out for a quick spin around the pond.
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid134/p9c8cef695a6c91804a2e3134005eed72/f7778474.jpgNotice they did that without A/C on deck . 21 point tie down might hold. On TR in the Med we where taking waves over the bow , for a couple of days . The hornets on the bow got pretty wet :eek: But we didn't heal to port like that :eek: Paul

[igatenby]

But we didn't heal to port like that Heel to Port? Geez mate, I'd say it was heeling to starb'd. :D

[Paul Girouard]

Shiet I never could figure what the air boss was saying ! Heeling to port or stbd , I just knew we where going to be turning, and I should be ready either way hell I was busy MTL fixing some broke jet , most land broke need a little fixin for the next launch . Spreading freedom is a big job , That statement ought to bring the libs runnin . http://www.aerospaceweb.org/aircraft/recon/ea6b/ea6b_04.jpg

Here a ready up jet( we hope ) , soon to be wheels in the wells.

[Clan Gordon]

Maybe one question worth asking is why these things are taking much longer to build and cost much more in real terms than they used to.

In July 1950, one month after the start of the Korean War, the US Secretary of Defense finally offered the USN a new large aircraft carrier. This vessel was a first of class design, much larger than any preceding carrier. One year later, the shipyard contract was placed, and the keel was laid within another year. The 75,000 tonne Forrestal was delivered less than 4½ years after contract, despite the design being changed to accommodate an angled flight deck after the keel had been laid !

Her cardinal dates were
• 12 July 1951 – Contract to yard
• 14 July 1952 – Laid down
• 11 Dec 1954 – Launch
• 1 Oct 1955 – Commissioned

That means
• 12.3 months = contract to laid down
• 29.3 months = laid down to launch
• 51.4 months = contract to commission

In the project for the first nuclear carrier Enterprise, the onboard reactors achieved Initial Critical status in December 1960, just 5½ years after approval was given for the development of a land based Large Ship Reactor prototype (i.e. they had to design and test the reactor before they could be sure of what to put in the ship). The detailed design and construction of the vessel was accomplished in about 4 years of the contract date.

Her cardinal dates were
• 15 Nov 1957 – Contract to yard
• 4 Feb 1958 – Laid down
• 24 Sept 1960 – Launch
• 2 Dec 1960 – first reactor goes initial critical
• 29 Oct 1961 – completed
• 25 Nov 1961 – Commissioned

That means
• 2.7 months = contract to laid down
• 32.1 months = laid down to launch
• 49 months = contract to commission

These projects were truly ground breaking. Amazing achievements by the US at (perhaps) its best.

The Reagan is the latest in a long line of (albeit improved along the way) one class of ship.

Her cardinal dates appear to be;
• Dec 8, 1994 Contract awarded to Newport News Shipbuilding
• Feb 12, 1998 Keel laid
• Oct 1, 2000 Precommissioning Unit established
• March 4, 2001 Christened by Mrs Nancy Reagan
• May 5, 2003 First underway
• July 12, 2003 Commissioned

That means (I think);
• 38 months = contract to laid down
• 36.9 months = Laid down to launch
• 28.1 months = launch to commission
• 103 months = contract to commission

The first nuclear carriers were built in around 4 years from contract to delivery. Now it is taking 8 to 10 years. Is this just because there are fewer orders for them, so they HAVE to build slow to keep the industrial base required for them intact ?

[Ken Hutchins]

Today we have computers every where to speed things up, the early carriers were built with only a minimum of computers to help with the manufacturing, today everything is computerised. :eek: BC things were done to get the ship launched, now everybody from the floor sweeper to the POTUS wants all kinds of reports, specs, flow charts, dashboard charts, OSHA reports, ergonomic studies on every operation the is involved with the building and operation, environmental studies and reports, multiple commitee meetings for each and every report, spc studies, got to make it 6 sigma, ya know 3.4 defects per million (but they only made one, not a million of them but they still want the reports), etc, etc. BC they didn't make so many reports but with pooters hey we can have all kinds of reports, then they wonder why it takes so long to make anything and so they want MORE REPORTS. :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad:
EXAMPLE my pre-retirement employer GE, when the quote was sent in to DOD and Congress for a new jet engine it took 6 FULL TRACTOR TRAILOR LOADS OF REQUIRED PAPER WORK to be sent to Washington. :eek:

[Meerkat]

IIRC, the next one due off the ways is the "George Bush" - 100% run on Microsoft Windows. No joke, even if it IS a joke! :D

(Aside: I dislike, extremely, this new habbit of naming ships after still living people, especially presidents, especially ones that did not distinguish themselves in combat (thinking Reagan, not Bush).)

[ 12-15-2005, 07:32 PM: Message edited by: Meerkat ]

[Clan Gordon]

Ken

I'm with you 100%. Like you I could go on and on about how bad, stupid, demoralising it is, but best not to get started.

It seems to be especially bad in;
a) government contracting (especially ships and planes)
b) North Sea offshore oil industry
c) oil majors operating in certain (but not all) parts of the world

[Andrew Craig-Bennett]

Er, yes. :D

Example, from the North Sea - the charter, for a one day hire of a DSV, which weighed seven pounds! :confused: :rolleyes: :mad:

[Lucky Luke]

USS RAEGAN... well.... :rolleyes:

But will there be a USS GEORGE BUSH one day ? :D :D :D :D :D :D

[ 12-20-2005, 12:57 AM: Message edited by: Lucky Luke ]