The US Navy’s Nimitz-class aircraft carrier, USS Nimitz (CVN 68), has entered a dry dock for its scheduled docking planned incremental availability (DPIA) period following a six-month deployment to the US 5th and 7th Fleets.
The vessel travelled to the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility in Bremerton from its homeport at Naval Base Kitsap to begin the refurbishment programme.
Go deeper with GlobalData
USS Nimitz is being moved from operational to maintenance status as part of the initiative.
It is set to undergo several upgrades and modernisation works, which will be carried out on a wide range of systems.
The overhaul will allow for the integration of improved steering components, hull preservation, combat systems equipment, aircraft elevator doors, berthing areas and a new stern dock.
The current 15-month DPIA represents USS Nimitz’s most recent upgrade and follows the aircraft carrier’s last maintenance period, which was scheduled between January 2015 and October last year.
Project superintendent Brian Fazio said: “In all reality, this preservation period should be one of the last for Nimitz.
“With new counter measure systems and refurbishments to multiple areas of the ship, including antenna, close-in weapons systems, rudders, shafts and propellers, habitability areas, and overall hull preservation, Nimitz should expect a busy preservation period.”
The US Navy aircraft carrier is scheduled to return to sea to carry out sea trials in preparation for future operations in May 2019.
The vessel previously completed its sea trials in October 2016, which marked the completion of a 20-month extended planned incremental availability.
