NEWPORT NEWS, Va., June 5 (UPI) -- A Virginia shipyard has been reconfigured and is officially ready to accommodate construction of the next class of U.S. aircraft carriers.
Ribbons were cut in May at the new multi-level pier and a covered assembly facility that covers more than an acre and will be used for workers building the Gerald R. Ford-class carriers.
"We're investing in our future," said Northrop Senior Vice President Bob Gunter. "These innovative facilities will improve our capability and increase efficiency as well as improve the quality of life for our employees."
The 1,040-foot long pier features cranes and 28,000 square feet of material staging area as well as office space.
The so-called covered module outfitting facility will be used to fabricate modular sections of the big ships that will be lifted through a retractable roof and put into place in the adjacent drydock where the new Fords will be built. A 600-ton section of the first Ford-class ship will be the first module built in the facility.
Because it is covered, work will proceed with fewer interruptions from the weather. It will also house more cranes, which Northrop said would enable crews to perform a larger degree of work on pre-assembly units than in the past.
Work has already begun on sections of the USS Ford with full-scale construction slated for next year. Newport News is also building the USS George H.W. Bush, the last of the Nimitz-class carriers, which was christened last fall and will be delivered to the Navy in 2008.
