USS George HW Bush Begins Sea Trials

The US Navy's Nimitz Class supercarrier USS George HW Bush has begun sea trials following a seven-month maintenance period at Northrop Grumman Newport News Shipbuilding in Virginia.

The sea trials will test the ship's electronics, communication, navigation and other combat systems that were built or modified in the shipyard.

USS George HW Bush will also undergo additional inspections for catapults and jet blast deflectors, berthing spaces, demonstrations of search and rescue equipment, firefighting capabilities and an evaluation of food service facilities to determine the ship's overall mission readiness.

During the seven-month maintenance period the ship underwent completion of the airwing spaces and combat systems suite, implementation of ship alterations to get the ship on the class maintenance plan, and the completion of the ship's force work package.

Following the sea trials, USS George HW Bush will be home ported in Virginia and begin the work-up cycle towards deployment and sustained sea flight operations.