Carrier George H. W. Bush (CVN-77) wrapped up its planned incremental availability over the weekend, the Navy announced Monday.
The aircraft carrier pulled into Norfolk, Va., on Saturday following sea trials, marking the end of its PIA, according to a service news release.
“Through full ownership of the work package, complete integrity every step of the way with our successes and challenges, and forward-leaning deck plate leadership on both the ship and at the shipyard, we were able to get the ship back in action and return lethality to the Fleet,” Capt. Robert Bibeau, the commanding officer of Bush, said in the news release.
The Norfolk, Va.,-based carrier started the PIA in January at Norfolk Naval Shipyard and finished the availability on time, Naval Sea Systems Command said in a separate news release.
“In returning George H.W. Bush to the fleet on schedule, NNSY applied a series of innovative strategies and engineering solutions to modernize the ship’s safety, communications, and combat systems—scheduling a significant volume of advance work at nearby Naval Station Norfolk (NAVSTA Norfolk) prior to the carrier’s arrival at NNSY,” according to NAVSEA.
Personnel who worked on the 2022 PIA for USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69) also worked on Bush‘s PIA, allowing the shipyard to take advantage of the experienced workforce.
“As part of the modernization and maintenance work for George H.W. Bush, crews installed combination ovens in the ship’s galley; modular refrigeration equipment to improve system reliability; and upgrades to the Consolidated Afloat Networks and Enterprise Services system—a program the Navy has implemented across the Fleet to enhance shipboard computing systems and to consolidate multiple legacy networks,” NAVSEA said in the news release.
The carrier completed an extended 30-month maintenance period in 2021 before deploying in 2022.
