Commissioning of USS Ronald Reagan Gives Navy One Hundred Thousand Tons of Combat Capability

By JAMES D. HESSMAN
Senior Writer & Editor Emeritus

"Man this ship and bring her alive!"

So said former first lady Nancy Reagan at the commissioning ceremony last month--at the Norfolk (Va.) Naval Station--of the 97,000-ton, 1,092-foot-long nuclear-powered aircraft carrier (CVN) named for her husband Ronald Reagan, the nation's 40th president.

Her words breathed life into the ship, and into its crew, as hundreds of crewmembers sprinted aboard ship to man the rail on the flight deck, and others emerged from the ship's island to man the rails on the upper levels. Meanwhile, the ship's whistle blew, fire alarms sounded, radar systems whirled, and a contingent of four of the ship's fighter jets roared overhead.

It was, commented Vice President Dick Cheney, principal speaker at the commissioning ceremony, an auspicious beginning for a ship that "sets sail in a world filled with new dangers," a ship that is designed for combat success in a war in which "our carriers have played, and will continue to play, a decisive role," a ship named for a president who personally exhibited "the strength and seriousness of this country and our military. ..."Today," Cheney said, "... [our nation] gains a hundred thousand tons of American ingenuity and American power. ... Something tells me that any potential adversary of the United States will take notice when word arrives that the USS Ronald Reagan has been sighted offshore."

Among the other principal speakers and senior dignitaries on the commissioning platform were Virginia Gov. Mark R. Warner, Sen. John W. Warner (R-Va.), chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Acting Secretary of the Navy Hansford T. Johnson, Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Vern Clark, Commander, U.S. Atlantic Fleet, Adm. Robert J. Natter, Commander, Naval Air Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet, Vice Adm. Michael D. Malone, Thomas C. Schievelbein, sector president, Northrop Grumman Newport News, the ship's commanding officer, Capt. J.W. Goodwin, and Navy League National President Sheila M. McNeill. Goodwin and McNeill participated jointly in an 11 July "Media Day" press conference.

Unlimited Range, Formidable Capabilities

The ninth of the Navy's Nimitz-class aircraft carriers, USS Ronald Reagan is, by a few hundred tons, the lightest ship in the class but also, because of several structural innovations and new equipment systems, the most technologically advanced and most combat-capable as well.

The most visible difference between the Ronald Reagan and her predecessors is the RR's slightly longer (by 20 feet) island structure, which features a redesigned, state-of-the-art primary flight control station that provides a 270-degree view of all aircraft on deck and within the carrier's airspace. "This larger, expanded panorama," the ship's builder (Northrop Grumman Newport News) points out, "ensures better visibility of operations and ... provides a safer working environment for the crew."

Other structural innovations include:

* The incorporation of a bulbous bow, similar to those on commercial tankers, that provides greater stability and a slight increase in speed; and

* A redesigned flight deck that permits the unobstructed simultaneous launch and recovery of aircraft.

CVN 76's sensors, command-and-control, and communications systems also are state of the art. Like other carriers, her main battery will be the approximately 80 aircraft she carries--F/A-18 Hornet and F/A-18 E/F Super Hornet strike fighters; F-14 Tomcat fighters; E-2C Hawkeye airborne early warning aircraft; S-3B Viking antisubmarine warfare aircraft; EA-6B Prowler electronic warfare aircraft; and SH-60/MH-60 multipurpose Seahawk helicopters.

Her defensive armament also will be formidable--a lethal mix of NATO Sea Sparrow Missiles and Rolling Airframe Missiles (RAMs) capable of intercepting and destroying high-speed incoming aircraft or missiles. The RAMs replace the less capable Phalanx close-in weapon systems installed on earlier ships of the class.

The Ronald Reagan's top speed, according to the Navy, is "more than 30 knots." Like other nuclear-powered ships, she has virtually unlimited range--and exceptional durability as well: Her two nuclear reactors can operate for more than 20 years without refueling, and the ship's own operational life is expected to be more than 50 years.

Interestingly, advance funding for CVN 76 was included in the fiscal year 1993 budget submitted by then-President George H.W. Bush, a WWII naval aviator, two-term vice president under President Reagan, and father of current President George W. Bush. The first members of the ship's 6,000-man crew (including air wing) moved aboard on 30 October 2002. Construction was completed and the ship was delivered to the Navy on 20 June 2003.

Then-Secretary of the Navy John Dalton announced on 2 February 1995 that CVN 76 would be named USS Ronald Reagan in honor of the former president--the first living president ever to have a ship named after him. The ship was christened by Mrs. Nancy Reagan on 4 March 2001. President George W. Bush, principal speaker at the christening ceremonies, said, with remarkable prescience, that "Freedom still has enemies. Our present dangers ... come from rogue nations, from terrorism, from missiles that threaten our forces, our friends, our allies, and our homeland."

USS Ronald Reagan will be homeported in San Diego, Calif., as a unit of the U.S. Pacific Fleet. The tenth and last of the Nimitz-class CVNs is scheduled to be delivered in the 2009-2010 time frame. The Navy already has announced that that ship will be named the USS George H.W. Bush. n

NLUS Councils Play Key Role In Commissioning Ceremonies

Two award-winning Navy League councils more than 2,500 miles apart--the Hampton Roads Council (Va.) and the Santa Barbara Council (Calif.)--joined forces in sponsoring numerous events related to the commissioning of the USS Ronald Reagan, which had been officially "adopted" by the Santa Barbara Council in June 2001. Former President Ronald Reagan and his wife, Nancy, are life members of the council, and both have participated in previous council programs.

Because the Navy can use government funds only to support the commissioning ceremony itself, the Hampton Roads and Santa Barbara Councils both hosted numerous fundraising receptions and other social events over the past 18 months. Their efforts supported the precommissioning publicity and public affairs programs, the creation and distribution of ship's memorabilia, and ship "enhancements" of various types, such as recreation equipment and athletic gear for the crew.

David H. Adams, president of the Hampton Roads Council--which had sponsored 17 previous ship commissionings--also served as the council's Commissioning Committee chairman; Maryellen Baldwin, a former council president, served as vice chairman. Connie O'Shaughnessy-Los, president of the Santa Barbara Council, served as its Commissioning Committee chairman, with Lynda Marino serving as her vice chairman.

The two councils already have raised, or received pledges for, well more than $2 million--with "significant additional donations from other individuals and corporations expected" --to provide continuing support for the crew members of the USS Ronald Reagan and their families, O'Shaughnessy-Los told Sea Power.

One of the more imaginative ways the Santa Barbara Council is raising funds for the ship's crew is through sales of "Ronnie, the Beanie Baby," a gray bear with a white sailor hat and collar, and the Navy League logo and USS RONALD REAGAN (CVN 76) embroidered on its chest. Ty Warner, CEO and chairman of Ty Inc. and creator of the Beanie Baby series, said that 100 percent of the profits from sales of the bear, now available in stores nationwide, will be donated to the council for use in its current and future programs of support to the USS Ronald Reagan. *