CVN 77 Departs Dry Dock at Norfolk Naval Shipyard

PORTSMOUTH, VA, UNITED STATES

08.29.2020

Story by Petty Officer 1st Class William Gaskill 

USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77)

PORTSMOUTH, Va. – USS George H. W. Bush (CVN 77) departed dry dock 8 at Norfolk Naval Shipyard (NNSY) on time Aug. 29, marking a major milestone as the ship continues its Docking Planned Incremental Availability (DPIA) maintenance period.
The ship has been on blocks since February 2019 and is now berthed at pier 5 at NNSY. This DPIA marks the first time the ship has been out of the water since the ship’s commissioning in 2009.
“The Crew and the Project Team have worked tirelessly for the past 18 months to get to this point,” said Capt. Robert Aguilar, the ship’s commanding officer. “I couldn’t be more proud of their work and I look forward to completing future milestones on time as we get closer to bringing our warship back into service.”
The berth shift capped a long week of work for the Project Team. First, the NNSY Team slowly began letting water into the dry dock for an initial integrity check of the hull. Once the test was complete, the dry dock was fully flooded, lifting the ship off its blocks, culminating with the ship moving to pier 5.
“As CVN 77 becomes part of Carrier Strike Group 10, I am excited to see the progress of our new flagship,” said Commander, Carrier Strike Group 10, Rear Adm. Brendan McLane. “It’s clear that the crew is hungry to get back to the tip of the spear.”
USS George H. W. Bush, which is the last of the Nimitz-class aircraft carriers, is receiving essential life-cycle maintenance and modernization. These improvements will enable her to return to the fleet in top warfighting condition in support of national interests.
In total, the DPIA encompasses about 1.3 million man days of work. The ship is expected to return to the fleet in the summer of 2021.

• Date Taken: 08.29.2020
• Date Posted: 08.29.2020 19:31
• Story ID: 377089
• Location: PORTSMOUTH, VA, US