NORFOLK, Va. — The Nimitz-class nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) returned to sea Thursday.
The carrier — also known as the Ike — had its scheduled planned incremental availability (PIA) during which the ship received "innovative upgrades," the Navy said in a news release.
"A disciplined and thoughtful approach to the basics brought us here," Capt. Kyle Higgins, Ike’s commanding officer, said.
“We’ve been training for this for quite some time and invested a tremendous amount of sweat along the way. The hard work every Sailor put in over the past year and a half demonstrates we have the grit, knowledge, and drive to get this fine warship back to sea where she belongs.”
The ship is currently conducting sea trials off the Virginia coast alongside engineers and Norfolk Naval Shipyard employees. Ike is conducting small-boat operations, testing countermeasure washdown systems, executing high-speed turns, and testing catapults, the Navy said.
As the sea trials continue, the ship is expected to conclude the PIA and then transition to the maintenance phase of the Optimized Fleet Response Plan (OFRP).
The ship's crew will continue preparations and work toward its upcoming deployment as part of Carrier Strike Group (CSG) 10.
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