NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — After years of work at Newport News Shipbuilding, the aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73) has been delivered back to the U.S. Navy following successful sea trials.
The nuclear-powered warship entered the shipyard for its mid-life refueling and complex overhaul (RCOH) in 2017. The job was supposed to be completed in 2021, but it wasn't until earlier this week that it left for sea trials.
HII announced Thursday the sea trials were a success and that the ship had been redelivered to the Navy's service.
"Redelivering George Washington to the Navy is the end result of incredible teamwork between our shipbuilders, the CVN 73 crew, our government partners, and all of our suppliers," said Todd West in a news release. West is NNS vice president for in-service aircraft carrier programs.
He added, "George Washington has gone through a transformation and now returns to the fleet as a fully recapitalized ship, ready to support any mission and serve our nation for another 25 years."
Now that the GW is back with the Navy, the ship and its crew are expected to return to Japan and relieve USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76), which will return to the United States.
RCOH work continues at Newport News Shipbuilding on another aircraft carrier, USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74).