Aircraft carriers are one of the largest and most complex pieces of military equipment ever to exist. These giant machines are so complex to manufacture that even the United States only has 11 of them. A mainstay of the US Navy for decades, these ships have played a key role in projecting military power far beyond its borders. Given how important these ships are to the United States, it may seem strange to learn that one of its aircraft carriers, the USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74), has been out of service for several years.
The USS John C. Stennis is a nuclear-powered Nimitz-class aircraft carrier. With no need to refuel, these vessels have a virtually unlimited range and a 50-year design life. However, all nuclear-powered aircraft carriers are expected to undergo a refueling and complex overhaul (RCOH) process after 25 years. This comprehensive overhaul includes thoroughly modernizing the ship and refueling it with nuclear fuel to keep it running for the next 25 years of its life.
USS John C. Stennis began her RCOH in 2021. May 6 and has been out of business ever since. RCOH is a complex process and it is not uncommon for aircraft carriers to be out of service for several years. John C. Stennis is currently estimated to be back in service by 2026. in October, which would mean that the ship will no longer be used for more than 5.5 years.
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Why is RCOH taking several years to complete?
USS John C. Stennis arrives at RCOH at Newport News Shipyard – Ashley Cowan/HII
It may seem unbelievable that it would take a year for the US Nimitz-class aircraft carriers to undergo RCOH, but there is a perfectly understandable reason for this. First of all, RCOH is the equivalent of open heart surgery. In addition to refueling the ship’s nuclear reactors, the process also involves overhauling its propulsion systems, switching electrical networks, upgrading radars and combat suites, and literally tearing down and rebuilding parts of the hull. All doors, pipe and turbine since the 1990s are inspected, repaired or replaced. When you’re done, the mount is basically as good as new. The complexity of the task is that RCOH takes several years to complete.
Of the 10 Nimitz-class ships in existence today, six underwent RCOH, and most took 4 years to complete the process. USS George Washington (CVN-73), the last ship to undergo RCOH (2017-2023), has been out of service for nearly six years, with an RCOH cost of $2.8 billion. It was also affected by pandemic-era slowdowns and supply shortages. Those delays ultimately also rattled the USS John C. Stennis RCOH timeline.
All calculations show that the ship will not complete RCOH until 2026. in October, that is if all goes according to plan. In fact, there are already concerns that the delay in bringing the John C. Stennis back to life will also affect the schedule of the next Nimitz-class aircraft carrier for RCOH, the USS Harry S. Truman, RCOH.
Why is the delay a concern?
USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (left) and USS Harry S. Truman in the Arabian Sea – US Navy
The extended downtime of the USS John C. Stennis shows how difficult and time-consuming it is to upgrade a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier. Further complicating the process is the fact that the US Navy relies on just one shipyard – Newport News Shipbuilding in Virginia – to carry out these massive overhauls. So when one project is delayed, everything that follows slows down. As previously explained, the previous carrier to undergo RCOH, USS George Washington (CVN-73), was also delayed due to pandemic-era disruptions, and this backlog directly affected the USS John C. Stennis RCOH schedule.
These delays are significant because only a handful of the U.S. Navy’s 11 carriers are ready for full operations at any given time. When one ship is under maintenance for more than half a decade, others have to sail more often and for longer periods of time, which increases wear and tear and fatigue on the ship and crew. Then there are the financial implications. Each overhaul is an expensive proposition, costing between $2.5 billion and $3 billion, and any delay adds millions to labor and material costs.
However, skipping the process is not an option. Without RCOH, carriers would face retirement decades earlier than planned. When John C. Stennis finally returns to the fleet around 2026. By the end of the year, it will have new electronics, improved radars and upgraded systems that will be ready to serve the US Navy by 2040.
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Read the original article on SlashGear.