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USS Ronald Reagan

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The USS Ronald Reagan
History
USA
NameUSS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76)
Ordered8 December 1994
Laid down12 February 1998
Launched4 March 2001
Commissioned12 July 2003
HomeportNaval Air Station North Island, Coronado, California
FateTemplate:Ship fate box active in service
General characteristics
Class and typeNimitz-class aircraft carrier, Ronald Reagan subclass
DisplacementTemplate:Nimitz class aircraft carrier displacement
Length
  • Overall: 1,092 feet (332.8 m)
  • Waterline: 1,040 feet (317.0 m)
Beam
  • Overall: 252 ft (76.8 m)
  • Waterline: 134 ft (40.8 m)
Draft
  • Maximum navigational: 37 feet (11.3 m)
  • Limit: 41 feet (12.5 m)
Propulsion
Speed30+ knots (56+ km/h; 35+ mph)[3]
RangeUnlimited distance; 20–25 years
Complement
  • Ship's company: 3,532
  • Air wing: 2,480
Sensors and
processing systems
  • SPS-48E 3-D air search radar
  • SPS-49A(V)1 2-D air search radar
  • SPQ-9B fire control radar
  • 2 × SPN-46 air traffic control radars
  • SPN-43C air traffic control radar
  • SPN-41 instrument landing system radar
  • 3 × Mk 91 NSSM guidance systems
  • 3 × Mk 95 radars
Electronic warfare
& decoys
Armamentlist error: <br /> list (help)
2 × Mk 29 Sea Sparrow
2 × RIM-116 Rolling Airframe Missile
ArmorUnknown
Aircraft carried90 fixed wing and helicopters

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.

Building, christening, and commissioning

Template:Livingships The Ronald Reagan was the first aircraft carrier to be named in honor of a living former president.[4] 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.

Former First Lady Nancy Reagan christens USS Ronald Reagan with President George W. Bush and Newport News Shipbuilding CEO William Frick looking on, 4 March 2001

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. The budget for the ship had to be increased several times and ultimately $4.5 billion was spent on its construction.[5] 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." Ronald Reagan made her maiden voyage on 21 July 2003. Mementoes were released on the occasion, including Ty Inc.'s commemorative beanie baby named the "USS Ronnie Ty" in honor of the commissioning.[6]

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, Rear Admiral 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 Ronald Reagan when the former president died.

Specifications

Ronald Reagan displaces approximately 95,000 tons of water fully loaded, has a top speed of over 30 knots, powered by two nuclear reactors driving four screws, and can sail for over 20 years before needing to refuel.[7] She is nearly as long as the Empire State Building is tall[8] 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.[9]

In the news

Commissioning ceremony of the USS Ronald Reagan, 2003

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.[10][11]

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 on 27 January 2007 on an unscheduled surge deployment[12] 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.[13]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.[13]

USS Ronald Reagan conducts rudder checks in October 2007, as part of the ship's periodic inspection

On 7 November 2005 Captain James A. Symonds was relieved as Commanding Officer of CVN 76 by Captain Terry B. Kraft. Captain Kenneth J. Norton became the fourth commanding officer of the Nimitz-class nuclear powered aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) May 2, relieving Captain Terry B. Kraft in a ceremony aboard the ship, moored pier side at Naval Air Station North Island in Coronado, Calif. 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.[14]

On 19 May 2008, the carrier and its strike group departed Naval Air Station North Island for a scheduled deployment to an undisclosed location.[15]

Designation and details

The USS Ronald Reagan forms part of Carrier Strike Group Seven (CSG-7) and has Carrier Air Wing 14 embarked.

CSG-7 comprises CVN-76 and DESRON-7. Destroyer squadron 7 consists of:

In Fiction

In CBS's series NCIS, one of the main characters, Anthony Dinozzo, gets reassigned as Agent Afloat on the USS Ronald Reagan at the end of Season 5.

In Command & Conquer: Generals - Zero Hour, the Carrier is the head of a U.S. Fleet sent to Europe. First, it provides support for European Relief Operations (A fictional terrorist organization took over the Baykonur Cosmodrome and launched a nuclear missile towards Europe). Then, the terrorist organization infiltrates the docks where the carrier is held and uses a Particle Cannon to destroy the carrier, cutting lengthwise through the carrier. (Note that this is pictured on the game's front cover.)

References

  1. ^ Kuperman, Alan; von Hippel, Frank (10 April 2020). "US Study of Reactor and Fuel Types to Enable Naval Reactors to Shift from HEU Fuel". International Panel on Fissile Materials. Archived from the original on 5 October 2021. Retrieved 26 February 2022.
  2. ^ Hanlon, Brendan Patrick (19 May 2015). Validation of the Use of Low Enriched Uranium as a Replacement for Highly Enriched Uranium in US Submarine Reactors (PDF) (MSc). Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Archived (PDF) from the original on 9 October 2021. Retrieved 26 February 2022.
  3. ^ Gibbons, Tony (2001). The Encyclopedia of Ships. London, United Kingdom: Amber Books. p. 444. ISBN 978-1-905704-43-9.
  4. ^ "USS Ronald Reagan Commemorates Former President's 90th Birthday". CNN. March 4, 2001. Retrieved 2008-01-24.
  5. ^ http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/ship/cvn-76.htm
  6. ^ [1]
  7. ^ US Navy Aircraft Carrier Page
  8. ^ Judge, Clark (2006-08-11). "Chargers find whole new meaning for 'carrier'". CBS SportsLine.com. CBS. Retrieved 2007-04-19. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  9. ^ Ronald Reagan Awarded First Battle "E"
  10. ^ "US jet crashes off Queensland". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 2006-01-30. Retrieved 2007-04-19. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  11. ^ "U.S. fighter jet crashes into the sea off Australia's east coast". Pravda.ru. 2006-01-29. Retrieved 2007-04-19. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  12. ^ "Ronald Reagan Strike Group Departs San Diego on Surge Deployment" (Press release). USS Ronald Reagan Public Affairs. 2007-01-27. Retrieved 2007-04-19. {{cite press release}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  13. ^ a b "Jarrod Fowler". Retrieved 2007-04-21.
  14. ^ Burst appendix spurs Navy cruise rescue - Yahoo! News
  15. ^ SignOnSanDiego.com > News > Military - Reagan strike group departs San Diego

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76).
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