WASHINGTON (NNS) -- Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) awarded a $2.4 billion contract on Aug. 26 to Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding - Newport News for the Refueling and Complex Overhaul (RCOH) of USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71).
The Navy's Program Executive Office, Aircraft Carriers, heads the planning and execution of aircraft carrier RCOHs in collaboration with NAVSEA, the Fleet and the shipbuilder. NAVSEA is committed to fiscal responsibility and streamlining our maintenance and modernization processes to maintain current readiness at a lower cost.
"USS Theodore Roosevelt will benefit from the experience gained by the Navy and the shipyard from three previous RCOHs," said Capt. Frank Simei, program manager for In-Service Aircraft Carriers. "Refueling, repairing, and modernizing a Nimitz-class aircraft carrier gives the Navy a fully mission-ready aircraft carrier, ready for two and a half more decades of service on the front line."
During a RCOH, the ship is recapitalized for the second-half of its nominal 50-year service life. This includes refueling the reactors, repairing and upgrading ship infrastructure and systems, and modernizing the ship and its combat and communication systems. Theodore Roosevelt is the fourth Nimitz-class aircraft carrier to undergo an RCOH in Newport News, Va., the only shipyard capable of conducting a Nimitz-class RCOH.
Additionally, Theodore Roosevelt will be the first aircraft carrier to not include a follow-on Selected Restricted Availability (SRA) maintenance period. The work typically conducted in the SRA will be incorporated into the RCOH.
Theodore Roosevelt's RCOH is scheduled to be completed in February 2013.
Aircraft carriers enable the Navy to execute all six core capabilities of the maritime strategy - forward presence, deterrence, sea control, power projection, maritime security and humanitarian assistance/disaster response.