Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) completed a significant work performance milestone on the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) with the installation of the final section of the ship's main mast.
The carrier is undergoing a refueling and complex overhaul (RCOH) at the company's Shipbuilding sector in Newport News, Va., the nation's sole designer, builder and refueler of nuclear-powered aircraft carriers. An important aspect of this availability includes modernizing the ship's island with the latest technology and installing a new main mast.
The 70-ton structure provides a platform for radar and communication systems high above the ship for maximum coverage. During refurbishment, the original round mast pole was removed and replaced with a modified, tapered square pole to increase strength and keep electrical and piping systems enclosed for survivability purposes. It is also larger, which allows for waist-high safety rails and easier access to all areas by internal ladders.
The removal and reconfiguration of the island structure and main mast began shortly after the ship arrived in 2009.
The USS Theodore Roosevelt is undergoing its refueling and complex overhaul at Newport News. The project is scheduled to last more than three years and will be the ship's one and only refueling and complex overhaul in a 50-year life span. Launched in 1984 and delivered to the Navy in 1986, USSTheodore Roosevelt is the fourth Nimitz-class carrier built at Newport News.