Shipbuilding: John F. Kennedy 17% Complete
Huntington Ingalls Industries’ (HII) Newport News Shipbuilding division has placed a 965-ton structure called a superlift into dry dock, continuing the construction of the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier John F. Kennedy (CVN 79). The superlift was made with more than twice the amount of outfitting accomplished as compared to the same superlift on Kennedy’s predecessor, Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78). The superlift, comprising two pump rooms, is 80 feet long and about 100 feet wide.
Oscar-2 Submarine: An Aircraft Buster
The Russian nuclear-powered Kursk submarine, crippled by a technical fault and stuck on the bed of the Barents Sea, is an aircraft carrier buster capable of launching up to 24 cruise missiles at a time. The 949 series submarines, Oscar-2 by NATO classification, form the backbone of Russia's anti-aircraft carrier force. The submarines, which carry more than 100 crew on board, are designed to tail aircraft carriers, keeping them within their firing range to be able to destroy them if ordered. To do so, each vessel usually carries 24 SS-N-19 Granit nuclear-capable supersonic cruise missiles, nestled in rows outside its rigid hull. Each of the missiles, called Shipwreck by NATO, weighs seven tons and has a firing range of more than 500 km (310 miles).
CVN 21 Program Manager Change of Command
Program Executive Officer (PEO) for Aircraft Carriers recently held a change of command ceremony for Capt. Michael Schwartz, who was relieved of his duties as CVN 21 program manager. In the same ceremony Capt. Brian Antonio assumed command as CVN 21 program manager. In a ceremony held after the change of command, Schwartz retired marking an end to his 26 years of service in the Navy. In August 2000, Schwartz reported to PEO Aircraft Carriers, as assistant program manager for Aircraft Carrier Refueling Complex Overhauls, and in June 2003 he was selected as program manager, CVN 21 Future Aircraft Carriers Program. Antonio indicated that he was proud to take the helm and acknowledged the importance of the program as it transitions from largely a design effort to a production effort.