USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76)

History of USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76)

Although the aircraft carrier was already in service in World War I (1914-1918), it rose in the Pacific naval battle of World War II (1939-1945), where its powerful The regional balance has shifted from Japan-dominated to U.S.-dominated. The arrival of aircraft carriers in that war also marked the end of battleships as primary capital ships and ushered in a new "King of the Seas". Today, the United States has the largest and most powerful naval force in the world, as well as the largest fleet of active aircraft carriers.

These ships provide an "anytime, anywhere" approach to the growing unrest in the world and act as a force projection tool when needed. The U.S. aircraft carrier has come a long way from a traditionally powered "flat-top" system -- it's now able to stay at the station for longer and deploy more aircraft in a short period of time.

These vessels are operated by highly trained professionals who ensure smooth and error-free operation in all areas of the vessel.

In May 1975, the first of 10 planned Nimitz-class nuclear-powered aircraft carriers was commissioned to form the new backbone of the United States Navy (USN). USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76) joined the group as the ninth ship after ordering on 8 December 1994.

Northrop Grumman Newport News saw her drop her on February 12, 1998, and launched on March 4, 2001, and launched on July 12, 2003 Officially commissioned today. As former President Ronald Reagan (1911-2004) became ill, his wife Nancy became the ship's sponsorship agent.

The USS Ronald Reagan is currently (2014) an active member of the U.S. Navy Fleet, based at Coronado Aerospace, North Island, California. She fought under the motto "Power for Peace" and was affectionately known by the nickname "Gipper" by President Reagan himself.

Former actor Ronald Reagan earned his nickname for his film Knute Rockne, in which he played George "The Gipper" Gipp.

The USS Ronald Reagan follows the same design line and ocean-going capabilities established by the Nimitz class in the 1970s. She has an almost completely flat flight deck, with the starboard island superstructure located slightly aft amidships. The primary landing area for fixed-wing aircraft is the sloped portion of the runway, which extends from the starboard tail to the port bow. Four hangar elevators provide the necessary access from below, three of which are installed on the starboard side and one on the port side.

A total of four steam catapults were placed around her design, which could launch four planes almost simultaneously (two port catapults almost crossed each other, delaying the launch of one plane). Two catapults are located above the forecastle and two are located on the port side of the ship. Reagan could also launch and recover helicopters, including special forces, with no problem. The vessel's dimensions include a barrel length of 1,092 feet, a beam of 252 feet and a draft of 37 feet. The total crew is 3,200 people, including all possible ranks - officer, soldier, security, etc.

The Air Wing includes an additional 2,480 crew members and can carry 5,680 Souls at a time - basically a floating American town.

Like the entire Nimitz class, the Reagan was equipped with a nuclear reactor propulsion system. This was arranged as 2 x Westinghouse A4W series reactors, connected to 4 x steam turbines driving 4 x shafts. The total power output is 260,000 hp and the maximum speed is over 30 knots. Since the power source is nuclear-based, its range is essentially unlimited, and the reactor is said to last about 20 to 25 years before it needs to be replaced.

Once the reactor reaches operational status, the problem becomes the disposal of radioactive waste.

Reagan is set to support up to 90 fixed-wing or rotary-wing aircraft simultaneously. This provides great tactical flexibility in any theater, as airlines can deploy a broad collection of aircraft to suit whatever combat role they require. These include anti-aircraft fighters, attack aircraft, airborne early warning (AEW) platforms, transport, search and rescue (SAR) helicopters, and more.

All of the aircraft's fuel and ammunition were stored on the lower deck of the aircraft, providing the Luftwaffe with their deadly tool of trade. The special design of the hangar area ensures that in the event of an accident or a direct hit by enemy weapons, explosions or fires can be quickly contained - no doubt learned from the grueling carrier battles of World War II.

The ship's island structure houses the various sensors and processing systems available on Nimitz-class ships. The AN/SPS-48E serves as the primary 3D air search radar system and is coupled to the AN/SPS-49(V)5 2D air search system. AN/SPQ-9B is a target acquisition/fire control radar, 2 x AN/SPN-46 radars are used with AN/SPN-43C air traffic controllers for air traffic control.

AN/SPN-41 is an Instrument Landing Aid Radar System. Up to 3 Mk 95 radars and 3 Mk 91 NSSM guidance systems are available. Electronic warfare is handled by the SLQ-32A(V) 4 countermeasure kit and the SLQ-25A "Nixie" torpedo countermeasure decoy kit.

Armor protection in critical areas of the ship is up to 2.5 inches thick.

While the carrier is primarily defended by its accompanying fleet of surface combatants and anti-aircraft fighters, it still carries a small number of long-range weapons as a last line of defense for survival. The family is led by the RIM-7 Evolved Sea Sparrow medium-range surface-to-air missile and supported by up to 4 x 20mm Phalanx Close-In Weapon System (CIWS).

If desired, the RIM-116 Rolling Airframe Missile (RAM) launcher can replace the Phalanx Gatling gun. These also provide short-range surface-to-air capability.

After commissioning in 2003, the USS Reagan was sent on the required trial cruises to demonstrate that her designs and systems were fit for full service with the US Navy. She then sailed from the US East Coast to the NAS North Island homeport in San Diego, California. Along the way, she made several goodwill stops in South America with U.S. allies such as Brazil.

Her first deployment was in January 2006, and her first operations were in support of Operations Enduring Freedom (Afghanistan) and Iraqi Freedom (Iraq), where her strike capability came into play. She was then deployed to the Western Pacific as part of a surge deployment plan, until returning home in April 2007.

After Typhoon Fengshen struck the Philippines, Reagan and her assets were deployed in humanitarian roles a rather unknown commitment often seen by the U.S. Navy with helicopters and transport planes delivering supplies and assisting in relief operations. As of August 2008, Reagan was deployed near the Afghan theater of operations, launching airstrikes against enemy targets in the country. More airstrikes took place in 2009 before she returned home in October.

The vessel was subsequently repaired in the first half of 2010 before being used for trials of new equipment and general procedure exercises. She added other elements of RIMPAC 2010. In November, her crew helped the stricken ocean liner Carnival Splendor which suffered an engine fire/failure.

The USS Ronald Reagan was deployed to support Japanese humanitarian forces in the aftermath of a deadly tsunami en route to South Korea in 2011. Reagan then returned home, arriving in San Diego waters in September.

Bremerton, Washington underwent major overhauls and repairs throughout 2012 before returning to San Diego in March 2013. The USS Ronald Reagan is now awaiting deployment to Japanese waters in 2015 under the guise of the Seventh Fleet - no doubt a show due to China's growing claim to regional waters, airspace and resource-rich islands.

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AIR WING