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Sept. 3 (UPI) -- The USS Carl Vinson officially completed the shift of its home port from Washington state to California on Wednesday, as it arrived at Naval Air Station North Island in San Diego. The Vinson completed 17 months of maintenance and upgrades at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility in Bremerton, Wash., the Navy announced Thursday.
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"On behalf of the strike group and our flagship, USS Carl Vinson, I want to say thank you to the city of San Diego for its continued support," said Rear Adm. Timothy J. Kott, commander, Carrier Strike Group One.
"Our strike group has been a part of the community for more than a decade and as 'America's Favorite Carrier' returns to the San Diego, we look forward to continuing our positive relationship with 'America's Finest City,'" Kott said.
According to the Navy, all embarked personnel completed either a restriction of movement period or COVID-19 testing before leaving Bremerton in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19, and attendance at Vinson's arrival in San Diego was limited.
The vessel left Bremerton last week to conduct sea trials before docking in San Diego.
Its 17-month maintenance period to prepare for its first deployment with the F-35C Joint Strike Fighter included upgrades to combat systems, electrical systems and crew living spaces, as well as preservation of the ship's hull, rudders and shafts.
It also underwent a complete restoration and system retrofit to accommodate the F-35C Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter -- a $367 million project -- officials said.
