Northrop Grumman Completes Rudder Installation

Northrop Grumman Corporation completed a significant milestone today on the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) with the installation of the ship's rudders. The carrier is undergoing a refueling and complex overhaul at the company's Newport News sector, the nation's sole designer, builder and refueler of nuclear-powered aircraft carriers. An important aspect of this availability includes removing, refurbishing and reinstalling the ship's two rudders. The rudders weigh approximately 50 tons each and are used to steer the ship from right to left. During refurbishment, the rudders were inspected, cleaned, painted and re-installed on the ship. Work began shortly after the ship arrived on Nov. 11, 2005 and took about 10 months to complete. The USS Carl Vinson is undergoing its refueling and complex overhaul at Northrop Grumman's Newport News sector. 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. Vinson is the third ship of the Nimitz class to undergo this major life-cycle milestone.