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PORTSMOUTH, Va. – The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) (IKE) completed Sea Trials, April 24, the ship’s first step after departing Norfolk Naval Shipyard (NNSY) following the successful completion of a 15-month Planned Incremental Availability (PIA) period.
Sea Trials marks a significant milestone in the carrier’s return to operational status, allowing the crew to test ship systems, validate repairs, and demonstrate readiness at sea.
“I am really proud of the crew after completing such a momentous underway– they trained hard and executed with precision and excellence,” said Capt. Shane T. Marchesi, commanding officer, USS Dwight D. Eisenhower.
The return to sea represents the culmination of more than a year of planning and execution between the crew and shipyard workers, who successfully delivered the ship from the shipyard ahead of schedule.
“This has been a demanding but rewarding period for the IKE crew,” said Rear Adm. Dusty Rhodes, commander, Carrier Strike Group TWO (CSG 2). “The dedication shown by our Sailors has set the foundation for a strong return to the fleet; a return that I am confident will demonstrate the lethality and true combat power of America’s Navy.”
IKE completed several key maintenance milestones at NNSY, following the historic 2023-2024 deployment to the Red Sea in support of Operation Prosperity Guardian.
“Our Sailors demonstrated unmatched grit and technical expertise throughout this availability,” said Marchesi. “Completing a maintenance period of this scale required relentless focus and teamwork with our partners – from the NNSY shipyard commander, Rear Adm. Hakimzadeh and his team, to include his project superintendent, Cmdr. Jason Downs, to Rear Adm. Rhodes and his strike group staff, to our type commander and staff, as well as private sector maintenance organizations – we could not have done it without any of these critical partnerships.”
The extensive maintenance period included critical upgrades and repairs to the ship’s combat systems, propulsion plant, and habitability spaces, ensuring IKE’s ability to be fully mission capable and ready to support global maritime operations.
IKE’s PIA completion represents NNSY’s second consecutive timely carrier delivery back to the fleet. Commissioned in 1977, USS Dwight D. Eisenhower is the second Nimitz-class aircraft carrier and is homeported in Norfolk, Virginia. The ship provides a combat ready, forward deployed naval force capable of supporting U.S. national security objectives around the globe.
For more information, contact USS Dwight D. Eisenhower Public Affairs at pao@cvn69.navy.mil. -30-
| Date Taken: | 04.24.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 04.24.2026 14:36 |
| Story ID: | 563542 |
| Location: | PORTSMOUTH, VIRGINIA, US |
| Web Views: | 24 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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