USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76)

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Career (US)	Image:Naval Jack of the United States.svg <tr valign=top><td>Ordered:</td><td>8 December 1994</td></tr>
USS Ronald Reagan arriving in Fort Lauderdale, FL
Laid down:	12 February 1998
Launched:	4 March 2001 <tr valign=top><td>Commissioned:</td><td>12 July 2003</td></tr>
Status:	active in service <tr valign=top><td>Homeport:</td><td>San Diego, California</td></tr>
General Characteristics
Displacement:	101,000 to 104,000 tons full load
Length:	Overall: 1,092 ft (333 m) Waterline: 1,040 ft (317 m)
Beam:	Overall: 252 ft (76.8 m) Waterline: 134 ft (40.8 m) <tr valign=top><td>Draught:</td><td>Maximum navigational: 37 ft (11.3 m) Limit: 41 ft (12.5 m)</td></tr><tr valign=top><td>Propulsion:</td><td>2 × Westinghouse A4W nuclear reactors 4 × steam turbines 4 × shafts 260,000 shp (194 MW)</td></tr>
Speed:	30+ knots (56+ km/h) <tr valign=top><td>Range:</td><td>Essentially unlimited</td></tr>
Complement:	Ship's company: 3,200 Air wing: 2,480 <tr valign=top><td>Sensors and processing systems:</td><td>SPS-48E 3-D air search radar SPS-49A(V)1 2-D air search radar Mk 23 target acquisition radar 2 × SPN-46 air traffic control radars SPN-43B air traffic control radar SPN-44 landing aid radars 3 × Mk 91 NSSM guidance systems 3 × Mk 95 radars</td></tr><tr valign=top><td>Electronic warfare and decoys:</td><td>SLQ-32A(V)4 Countermeasures suite SLQ-25A Nixie torpedo countermeasures</td></tr><tr valign=top><td>Armament:</td><td>2 × Mk 29 Sea Sparrow 2 × RIM-116 Rolling Airframe Missile </td></tr><tr valign=top><td>Armour:</td><td>Unknown</td></tr><tr valign=top><td>Aircraft carried:</td><td>90 fixed wing and helicopters</td></tr><tr valign=top><td>Motto:</td><td>Peace Through Strength</td></tr><tr valign=top><td>Nickname:</td><td>Gipper</td></tr>

USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76), the ninth Nimitz-class supercarrier, was the first ship of the United States Navy to be named for President Ronald Reagan.

Traditionally, very few ships of the United States Navy were named after a person who was alive at the time of the christening, but recently the number began increasing rapidly; the list includes Carl Vinson (CVN-70), Hyman G. Rickover (SSN-709), Arleigh Burke (DDG-51), John C. Stennis (CVN-74), Bob Hope (T-AKR-300), Ronald Reagan (CVN-76), Nitze (DDG-94), Jimmy Carter (SSN-23), and George H. W. Bush (CVN-77). Unlike most of the other men honored by inclusion in this group, Reagan was not associated with the United States Navy apart from his term as Commander in Chief.

The contract to build Ronald Reagan was awarded to Northrop Grumman Newport News and Dry Dock Company in Newport News, Virginia on 8 December 1994 and her keel was laid down on 12 February 1998. She was launched on 10 March 2001, sponsored by Ronald Reagan's wife Nancy, and commissioned on 12 July 2003, with Captain J. W. Goodwin in command. At the commissioning ceremony, Mrs. Reagan gave the ship's crew the traditional first order as an active unit of the Navy: "Man the ship and bring her to life."

President Reagan died eleven months later. At the end of the graveside services, the ship's commanding officer at that time, Navy Captain James Symonds, presented the flag that draped the former president's casket to Mrs. Reagan at her request. This was also the flag that had flown over Capitol Hill on January 20, 1981, when the president was inaugurated. Captain Symonds also presented Mrs. Reagan the flag that had been flying over the Ronald Reagan when the former president died.

Ronald Reagan displaces approximately 95,000 tons of water fully loaded and has a top speed of over 30 knots, powered by two nuclear reactors driving four screws, and can sail for 20 years before refueling. She is nearly as long as the Empire State Building is tall at 1,092 feet (333 m) and is 134 feet (41 m) wide at the beam and has a flight deck 252 feet (77 m) wide. The flight deck covers over 4.5 acres (18,000 m²). She carries more than 5,500 sailors and over 80 aircraft.

During her transfer from the Atlantic to the Pacific, she transited the Straits of Magellan. Her homeport is San Diego, California.

On July 6, 2006 the Ronald Reagan returned to her homeport of San Diego from her maiden deployment where she conducted operations in support of the continuing war on terror. During a short stay in Brisbane, Australia an FA-18 Hornet strike fighter was unable to perform a night landing on the ships deck. The pilot ejected safely, but the US Navy has ruled out salvaging the lost fighter, a decision which has angered conservationists. This, combined with an incident involving sailors from the USS Ronald Reagan dumping garbage into Australian waters, has led some to question whether further US vessels should be permitted to enter Australian ports. However, there currently is no serious attempt in Australia to prevent US vessels from entering Australian ports and none is likely in the foreseeable future.

1 Designation & Details
2 Trivia
3 In fiction
4 See also
5 External links

[edit] Designation & Details

She forms part of Carrier Strike Group SEVEN (CSG-7) and has Carrier Air Wing FOURTEEN (CVW-14) embarked.
CVW-14 is currently, as of January 2006, made up of

VFA-22 Fighting Redcocks — F/A-18E Super Hornet
VFA-115 Eagles — F/A-18E Super Hornet
VFA-113 Stingers — F/A-18C Hornet
VFA-25 Fist of the Fleet — F/A-18C Hornet
VAQ-139 Cougars — EA-6B Prowler
VAW-113 Black Eagles — E-2C Hawkeye 2000
HS-4 Black Knights — SH-60F / HH-60H Seahawk
VRC-30 (Det 1) Providers — C-2A Greyhound

CSG-7 comprises CVN-76 and DESRON-7. DEStroyer squadRON 7 consists of:

USS Lake Champlain (CG-57) — Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruiser
USS Decatur (DDG-73) — Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer
USS McCampbell (DDG-85) — Arleigh Burke (Flight IIA)-class guided missile destroyer
USNS Rainier (T-AOE-7) — Supply-class fast combat support ship. Formerly USS Rainier (AOE-7).
EOD-11 Det 15 (Explosive Ordnance Disposal Unit)

[edit] Trivia

On August 11, 2006 the San Diego Chargers held a practice on the deck of the Ronald Reagan to promote their upcoming "military night" preseason game. The carrier was at its home port, Naval Base Coronado. Captain Terry Kraft, the ship's CO, joined the team at quarterback on one play and threw an incomplete pass.

[edit] In fiction

In the computer game, Command and Conquer: Generals - Zero Hour, the USS Reagan is destroyed by the GLA terrorists using a captured US particle uplink cannon during the course of the game's GLA campaign. The loss of the carrier prompts the U.S. to dispatch its entire Pacific Fleet to the Med for a show of force against the GLA.
In the video game Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory the USS Ronald Reagan is about to be hit by an incoming missile. When the main character is told that he has to prevent the strike he asks, "Wait a minute... did you just say I have to win one for the Gipper?", referencing the ship and her namesake.
In the Video Game Janes F/A-18 the USS Reagan is the Aircraft Carrier Depicted.
in the Military fiction series by Robert Gandt (With Hostile Intent, Acts Of Vengeance), the main characters are stationed on the Reagan.