Ready or Not, the George H. W. Bush Carrier to be Commissioned This Weekend

Even with sea trials not set for the end of January, the new George H. W. Bush supercarrier will be commissioned this Saturday at Naval Station Norfolk.  Following this weekends ceremony, the carrier will go directly through its first set of sea trials with completion expected for mid-March.

The USS George H. W. Bush (CVN-77) is the second aircraft carrier to be named after a naval aviator and also the second to be named after a living former President (First was Ronald Reagan).  She is also the tenth and last of the Nimitz class of supercarriers for the US Navy and cost an estimated $6.2 billion.  The next carrier built will be the Gerald R. Ford and the first of a new class planned for completion in 2015.

General Characteristics of Nimitz Class Aircraft Carriers

General Characterstics of Gerald R. Ford Class Aircraft Carrier