Former President George H.W. Bush, prepares to signal the launch of two "dead loads" off the flight deck of the Precommissioning Unit (PCU) George H. W. Bush's (CVN 77). "Dead Load" launches test the ship's catapult systems ability to launch aircraft. The ship is under construction at Northrop Grumman Newport News Shipyard. U.S. From Pre-Commissioning Unit George H. Marking a milestone in the construction of the U.S. Navy's newest aircraft carrier, Pre-Commissioning Unit (PCU) George H.