USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76)
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| Career (USA) |  |
|---|---|
| Name: | USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76) |
| Ordered: | 8 December 1994 |
| Laid down: | 12 February 1998 |
| Launched: | 4 March 2001 |
| Commissioned: | 12 July 2003 |
| Homeport: | Naval Air Station North Island, Coronado, California |
| Fate: | Active in service as of 2008 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type: | Nimitz-class aircraft carrier, Ronald Reagan subclass |
| Displacement: | 101,000 to 104,000 tons full load |
| Length: | Overall: 1,092 ft (333 m) Waterline: 1,040 ft (317 m) |
| Beam: | Overall: 252 ft (76.8 m) Waterline: 134 ft (40.8 m) |
| Draft: | Maximum navigational: 37 ft (11.3 m) Limit: 41 ft (12.5 m) |
| Propulsion: | 2 × Westinghouse A4W nuclear reactors 4 × steam turbines 4 × shafts 260,000 shp (194 MW) |
| Speed: | 30+ knots (56+ km/h) |
| Range: | Essentially unlimited |
| Complement: | Ship's company: 3,200 Air wing: 2,480 |
| Sensors and processing systems: |
SPS-48E 3-D air search radar SPS-49A(V)1 2-D air search radar Mk 23 target acquisition radar 2 × SPN-46 air traffic control radars SPN-43B air traffic control radar SPN-44 landing aid radars 3 × Mk 91 NSSM guidance systems 3 × Mk 95 radars |
| Electronic warfare and decoys: |
SLQ-32A(V)4 Countermeasures suite SLQ-25A Nixie torpedo countermeasures |
| Armament: | 2 × Mk 29 Sea Sparrow 2 × RIM-116 Rolling Airframe Missile |
| Armor: | Unknown |
| Aircraft carried: | 90 fixed wing and helicopters |
| Motto: | Peace Through Strength |
| Nickname: | Gipper |
USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76) is a Nimitz-class nuclear-powered supercarrier in the service of the United States Navy. The ninth ship of her class, she was named in honor of former President Ronald Reagan.
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[edit] Building, christening, and commissioning
Traditionally, few ships of the United States Navy were named after a person who was alive at the time of the christening, but recently the number has increased; the list includes Carl Vinson, Hyman G. Rickover, Arleigh Burke, John C. Stennis, Bob Hope, Ronald Reagan, Nitze, Jimmy Carter, and George H. W. Bush. The Ronald Reagan was the first aircraft carrier to be named in honor of a living former president.[1] Unlike most of the other men honored by inclusion in this group, Reagan was not associated with the United States Navy apart from his term as Commander-in-Chief, though one of his key initiatives in office was the 600-ship Navy program.
The contract to build the Reagan was awarded to Northrop Grumman Newport News and Dry Dock Company in Newport News, Virginia on 8 December 1994, and her keel was laid down on 12 February 1998. She was launched on 4 March 2001, christened by Reagan's wife Nancy the same day, and commissioned on 12 July 2003, with Captain J. W. Goodwin in command. Vice President Dick Cheney and Lynne Cheney were both present at the ceremony, as well as Nancy Reagan, who gave the ship's crew the traditional first order as an active unit of the Navy: "Man the ship and bring her to life." The Ronald Reagan made her maiden voyage on 21 July 2003.
President Reagan, who did not attend either the launch or the commissioning due to Alzheimer's disease, died eleven months later. At the end of the graveside services, the ship's commanding officer at that time, Navy Captain James Symonds, presented the flag that draped the former president's casket to Mrs. Reagan at her request. This was also the flag that had flown over Capitol Hill on 20 January 1981, when the president was inaugurated. At a later date, Captain Symonds also presented Mrs. Reagan the flag that had been flying over the Ronald Reagan when the former president died.
[edit] Specifications
Ronald Reagan displaces approximately 95,000 tons of water fully loaded, has a top speed of over 45 knots, powered by two nuclear reactors driving four screws, and can sail for over 20 years before needing to refuel.[2] She is nearly as long as the Empire State Building is tall[3] at 1,092 feet (333 m) and is 134 feet (41 m) wide at the beam and has a flight deck 252 feet (77 m) wide. The flight deck covers over 4.5 acres (18,000 m²). She carries more than 5,500 sailors and over 80 aircraft. The ship is the winner of the 2006 Battle "E" for West Coast carriers.[4]
[edit] In the news
During her transfer from the Atlantic to the Pacific, she transited the Straits of Magellan. Her home port is Coronado, California.
On 29 January 2006, a F/A-18 Hornet strike fighter attempting a night landing on the Ronald Reagan, crashed into the ocean about 200 km (120 miles) southeast of Brisbane, Australia. There was no damage to the ship and the pilot ejected safely, but U.S. officials declared the aircraft lost and unrecoverable.[5][6]
On 6 July 2006, the Ronald Reagan returned to Coronado from her maiden deployment where she conducted operations in support of the continuing war on terror. USS Ronald Reagan and the Reagan Carrier Strike Group (CSG) departed North Island, Coronado in San Diego County on 27 January 2007 on an unscheduled surge deployment[7] to the Western Pacific, fulfilling the role of the forward deployed carrier Kitty Hawk while it undergoes $28.5 million of maintenance in Japan. On 20 April 2007, USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) and her CSG returned to Coronado.
A sailor from the Ronald Reagan, Jarrod Fowler, appeared on the popular television contest American Idol, but was eliminated in the second round.[8]The Reagan had held a "Reagan Idol" Contest, which Fowler won, and his name was submitted to the show. Fowler received a letter from Nancy Reagan congratulating him on his performance.[8]
On 7 November 2005 Captain James A. Symonds completed his tour of duty as Commanding Officer of CVN 76. The new and current Commanding Officer is Captain Terry B. Kraft. The current Executive Officer is Captain Kevin J. Couch. The Command Master Chief is James E. DeLozier. The current Commander, Carrier Air Wing Fourteen is Captain Richard W. Butler.
The San Diego Chargers held a practice aboard the Reagan.
On 15 December 2007, the carrier answered a distress call from a cruise ship off the coast of Baja California. A teenager whose appendix had ruptured while on a Mexican cruise was airlifted by an SH-60 helicopter to the Ronald Reagan, where an emergency appendectomy was performed by Navy medical personnel.[9]
[edit] Designation and details
The USS Ronald Reagan forms part of Carrier Strike Group Seven (CSG-7) and has Carrier Air Wing 14 embarked.
- VFA-115 Eagles — F/A-18E Super Hornet
- VFA-22 Redcocks - F/A-18F Super Hornet
- VFA-113 Stingers — F/A-18C Hornet
- VFA-25 Fist of the Fleet — F/A-18C Hornet
- VAQ-139 Cougars — EA-6B Prowler
- VAW-113 Black Eagles — E-2C Hawkeye 2000
- HS-4 Black Knights — SH-60F / HH-60H Seahawk
- VRC-30 (Det 1) Providers — C-2A Greyhound
CSG-7 comprises CVN-76 and DESRON-7. Destroyer squadron 7 consists of:
- USS Decatur (DDG-73) — Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer
- USS McCampbell (DDG-85) — Arleigh Burke (Flight IIA)-class guided missile destroyer
- USS Gridley (DDG-101) — Arleigh Burke (Flight IIA)-class guided missile destroyer
- USNS Rainier (T-AOE-7) — fast combat support ship. Formerly USS Rainier (AOE-7).
- EOD-11 Det 15 (Explosive Ordnance Disposal Unit)
[edit] References
- ^ "USS Ronald Reagan Commemorates Former President's 90th Birthday", CNN, March 4, 2001. Retrieved on 2008-01-24.
- ^ Extras: Fast Facts & Related Links. MegaStructures. National Geographic Channel. Retrieved on 2007-04-19.
- ^ Judge, Clark. "Chargers find whole new meaning for 'carrier'", CBS SportsLine.com, CBS, 2006-08-11. Retrieved on 2007-04-19.
- ^ Ronald Reagan Awarded First Battle "E"
- ^ "US jet crashes off Queensland", Australian Broadcasting Corporation, 2006-01-30. Retrieved on 2007-04-19.
- ^ "U.S. fighter jet crashes into the sea off Australia's east coast", Pravda.ru, 2006-01-29. Retrieved on 2007-04-19.
- ^ USS Ronald Reagan Public Affairs (2007-01-27). "Ronald Reagan Strike Group Departs San Diego on Surge Deployment". Press release. Retrieved on 2007-04-19.
- ^ a b Jarrod Fowler. Retrieved on 2007-04-21.
- ^ Burst appendix spurs Navy cruise rescue - Yahoo! News
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- The official Ronald Reagan web site
- CVN-76 Personnel Roster at HullNumber.com
- USS Ronald Reagan history at U.S. Carriers
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| Nimitz subclass | Nimitz | Dwight D. Eisenhower | Carl Vinson | Theodore Roosevelt |
| Abraham Lincoln subclass | Abraham Lincoln | George Washington | John C. Stennis | Harry S. Truman |
| Ronald Reagan subclass | Ronald Reagan | George H. W. Bush |
| List of aircraft carriers of the United States Navy | |
