Newport News awarded CVN 73 planning contract

AUGUST 4, 2014 — The nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73) is a step nearer to its $3 billion, three year RCOH (Refueling and Complex OverHaul).

Huntington Ingalls reports that its Newport News Shipbuilding division has received a $49.6 million contract to begin planning for work on the carrier. The contract is for 12 months and includes planning, engineering and shipboard inspections for work associated with the defueling of the ship.

“We are pleased to be able to begin planning for the defueling of CVN 73,” said Chris Miner, Newport News Shipbuilding’s vice president, in-service aircraft carrier programs. “We hope this award is a first step toward the highly anticipated full award of the RCOH planning contract.”

Commissioned in 1992, the USS George Washington is the sixth Nimitz-class carrier built by Newport News and the fourth Navy ship to be named after the first president of the United States. If approved, CVN 73 will be the sixth ship of the class to undergo a RCOH, a major life-cycle milestone.