Jump to content

USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Grafen (talk | contribs) at 22:43, 26 May 2012 (→‎In popular culture: clean up, replaced: it's → its using AWB). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

For other ships with the same name, see USS Theodore Roosevelt.
USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71)
USS Theodore Roosevelt
History
United States
NameUSS Theodore Roosevelt
NamesakeTheodore Roosevelt
Ordered30 September 1980
BuilderNewport News Shipbuilding Co.
CostUS $4.5 billion in 2007 dollars.[1]
Laid down31 October 1981
Launched27 October 1984
Commissioned25 October 1986
HomeportNS Norfolk, Virginia
MottoQui Plantavit Curabit (He who has planted will preserve.)
Nickname(s)TR, Big Stick
Statusin active service
Badge
General characteristics
Class and typeNimitz-class aircraft carrier
Displacement104,600 long tons (117,200 short tons)[2]
Length
  • Overall: 1,092 feet (332.8 m)
  • Waterline: 1,040 feet (317.0 m)
Beam
  • Overall: 252 ft (76.8 m)
  • Waterline: 134 ft (40.8 m)
Draft
  • Maximum navigational: 37 feet (11.3 m)
  • Limit: 41 feet (12.5 m)
Propulsion
Speed30+ knots (56+ km/h; 35+ mph)[5]
RangeUnlimited distance; 20–25 years
EnduranceLimited only by food and supplies
Complement
  • Ship's company: 3,532
  • Air wing: 2,480
Sensors and
processing systems
Electronic warfare
& decoys
Armament3 x NSSMS (Sea Sparrow) Sea-to-Air missile launchers

3 x PHALANX CIWS (Close-In Weapons System) Gatling guns

10 x .50 Caliber M2HB mounted machine guns
ArmorNo armor plating, but a double-hull design reduces damage from torpedoes
Aircraft carried90 fixed wing and helicopters

USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71) (also known by crewmembers as "the Big Stick" or within the navy simply as TR) is the fourth Nimitz-class supercarrier. Her radio call sign is Rough Rider, the name of President Theodore Roosevelt's volunteer cavalry unit during the Spanish-American War. She was launched in 1984, saw her first action during Operation Desert Storm in 1991, and is currently homeported at Newport News Shipyard, Virginia.

Design and construction

Main article: Nimitz class aircraft carrier

Roosevelt and those Nimitz-class vessels completed after her have slight structural differences from the earlier carriers (Nimitz and Eisenhower), and improved protection for ordnance storage in her magazines.[6]

TR's history began on 30 September 1980, when a contract was awarded for "Hull 624D" to Newport News Shipbuilding.

Her keel was laid down on 31 October 1981, with Secretary of Defense Caspar Weinberger initiating the first weld. On 3 November 1981, Secretary of the Navy John F. Lehman announced that the carrier would be named for the 26th President of the United States, Theodore Roosevelt.

TR was the first aircraft carrier to be assembled using modular construction, wherein large modules are independently constructed in "lay-down" areas, prior to being hoisted into place and welded together. Modular construction, made possible through the use of a huge gantry crane capable of lifting 900 tons, cut 16 months off TR's construction time, and the technique has been used on every aircraft carrier since.

The Navy's Pre Commissioning Unit (PCU) was formed in February 1984, with Captain Paul W. Parcells named the Commanding Officer.

On 27 October 1984 the ship was officially christened by Mrs. Barbara Lehman, wife of Secretary Lehman. On 25 October 1986, Theodore Roosevelt was commissioned to active service at Newport News.

Service history

Maiden Deployment

Shock test of TR during sea trials in 1987

After sea trials and pre-deployment work ups, Theodore Roosevelt started her maiden deployment on 30 December 1988 with Carrier Air Wing Eight embarked. The ship patrolled the Mediterranean Sea, Red Sea, and Persian Gulf prior to returning on 30 June 1989.

Theodore Roosevelt was awarded the 1989 Battle "E" from Commander, Naval Air Force U.S. Atlantic Fleet on 20 March 1990.

1990s

Gulf war

On 28 December 1990, Theodore Roosevelt and CVW-8 deployed for Operation Desert Shield, arriving in the Persian Gulf on 16 January 1991. With the commencement of Operation Desert Storm on 15 January 1991, Theodore Roosevelt began combat operations; eventually flying over 4,200 sorties (more than any other carrier) and dropping more than 4,800,000 pounds of ordnance before the cease-fire on 28 February.[1]

When Iraqi forces turned on the Kurds, Theodore Roosevelt and CVW-8 were among the first coalition forces in Operation Provide Comfort, flying patrols over northern Iraq. After a 189-day deployment, with 176 days at sea, Theodore Roosevelt returned to Norfolk on 28 June 1991. On 14 February 1992, the ship won her second Battle "E". This was followed by the award of the Battenberg Cup for 1991 as the Atlantic Fleet's premier ship.[7]

1993–1999

Theodore Roosevelt began her third deployment on 11 March 1993, again with CVW-8 embarked. Also embarked was a Special Purpose Marine Air Ground Task Force (SPMAGTF), in a test the concept of embarking a multi-purpose Marine force in a carrier.

While the ship was still in the Virginia Capes operating area, President Bill Clinton flew aboard for several hours for his first visit to a U.S. Navy ship.[7]

TR operated in the Adriatic as CVW-8 planes enforced Operation Deny Flight in the U.S. no-fly zone over Bosnia. In June, on the way to only her second port visit, Theodore Roosevelt was ordered instead to transit the Suez Canal en-route to the Red Sea to participate in Operation Southern Watch, enforcing the no-fly zone over Iraq.

Deployed for 184 days, Theodore Roosevelt spent 169 days under way prior to return in September 1993. For the accomplishments of her crew, the ship received her second Meritorious Unit Commendation.

From November 1993 to April 1994, Theodore Roosevelt conducted a Selected Restricted Availability (SRA) at Norfolk Naval Shipyard (NNSY), completing ahead of schedule.

On 10 March 1994, Theodore Roosevelt received its third Battle "E". Then on 3 June, Theodore Roosevelt was awarded her second Battenberg Cup as the best ship in the Atlantic Fleet.

Theodore Roosevelt and CVW-8 began their fourth deployment in March 1995, operating in the Red Sea in support of Operation Southern Watch over Iraq, and Operations Deny Flight and Sharp Guard over the skies of Bosnia and in the Adriatic operating areas. Deny Flight evolved into Operation Deliberate Force, as CVW-8 aircraft led NATO strikes against strategic Bosnian Serb targets in Bosnia-Herzegovina. The Theodore Roosevelt Battle Group returned to Norfolk, Virginia in September 1995 and was awarded the Navy Unit Commendation for its Bosnia operations.[7]

Theodore Roosevelt deployed for her fifth deployment on 25 November 1996, with CVW-3 embarked, in support of Operation Southern Watch in the Mediterranean and Persian Gulf. The ship returned from deployment in May 1997.

On 8 July 1997, Theodore Roosevelt entered the Newport News Shipbuilding yard for a one-year Extended Drydock and Selected Restricted Availability (EDSRA), her first major overhaul since commissioning. Theodore Roosevelt returned to her homeport of Norfolk Naval Station on 2 July 1998.

TR underway in 1999
An air traffic controller watches his radar scope in the Carrier Air Traffic Control Center

From 1 February to 4 March 1999 Theodore Roosevelt participated in a large navy exercise called JTFEX / TMDI99 along with the Brazilian navy and several NATO navies. During the exercise Theodore Roosevelt was 'sunk'[8] by a Dutch submarine called the Walrus (2) along with 8 other US ships, many of which were part of Theodore Roosevelts escorts.

Theodore Roosevelt began her sixth deployment on 26 March 1999 with CVW-8 embarked. They were immediately called to duty in the Ionian Sea to support NATO's Operation Allied Force. Theodore Roosevelt and CVW-8 aircraft conducted air strikes for two months over the skies of Kosovo against the Serbians. TR and CVW-8 were then dispatched to support Operation Southern Watch, enforcing the "no-fly" zone over Southern Iraq. Theodore Roosevelt returned to her homeport of Norfolk, Va., on 24 September 1999.

On 10 January 2000, Theodore Roosevelt entered a Planned Incremental Availability (PIA) at the Norfolk Naval Naval Shipyard, Portsmouth, Virginia for a six month maintenance period.

2000s

After the 11 September attacks, Theodore Roosevelt began her seventh deployment earlier than planned on 19 September 2001 with Carrier Air Wing One. On the night of 4 October 2001, Theodore Roosevelt and CVW-1 launched the initial strikes of Operation Enduring Freedom against al-Qaeda in Afghanistan from the North Arabian Sea. Theodore Roosevelt spent 159 consecutive days at sea, breaking the record longest period underway since WWII.[9] Theodore Roosevelt returned to her homeport 27 March 2002, and was awarded the Navy Unit Commendation, 2001 Battenberg Cup, and 2001 Battle E.[10] From April to October 2002, TR conducted a Planned Incremental Availability maintenance period at Norfolk Naval Ship Yard.

Roosevelt receives cargo while pierside at the NATO Marathi Pier Facility.

Theodore Roosevelt got underway on 6 January for a scheduled month-long training period in the Puerto Rican Operating Area. Near the end of January, TR received orders to proceed across the Atlantic to the Mediterranean Sea. Strike Fighter Squadron 201, based at Naval Air Station Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, Texas, was ordered to active duty as a unit of Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 8, the first Naval Reserve squadron to deploy aboard an aircraft carrier since the Korean War.[11] TR arrived on station in the Eastern Mediterranean in February. On 22 March 2003 Theodore Roosevelt, along with USS Harry S. Truman (CVN-75), began launching air strikes into Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.[12] TR returned home on 26 May, and was awarded the Meritorious Unit Commendation, the Navy Unit Citation, and the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal.

TR in the Elizabeth River in 2004

On 19 February 2004, TR entered a ten-month Docked Planned Incremental Availability (DPIA) at NNSY in Portsmouth.[13] Major systems overhauled included AC systems, Steam and CHT (sewage) systems, 1MC (announcing) systems, communication, navigation, and detection suites, weapons elevator overhauls, propeller replacement, hull cleaning and painting, and sea valve replacement, to name a few. TR came out of dry-dock in August and completed the maintenance availability on 17 December 2004.[14]

An F/A-18 Hornet from the "Sidewinders" of VFA-86 ignites its afterburners while preparing to be catapulted from the flight deck.

On 1 September 2005, TR deployed with Carrier Air Wing Eight embarked for a routine six-month mission to the Persian Gulf in support of OIF.,[15] transiting the Suez Canal on 27 September[16] and launching OIF missions beginning 6 October.[17] This deployment was the last cruise for the F-14 Tomcat before its retirement in 2006. The TR carried two Tomcat squadrons, VF-31 (Tomcatters) and VF-213 (Black Lions).[18] Theodore Roosevelt returned to home port on 11 March 2006.[citation needed]

Shortly after this cruise, the TR earned the "Jig Dog" Ramage Carrier and Carrier Air Wing Operational Excellence Award, which is a Navy-wide award that is selected jointly by Type Commanders (TYCOM) and is presented to the Carrier/Air Wing team with the best performance as an integrated unit.

On 7 March 2007 Theodore Roosevelt began a nine month Planned Incremental Availability (PIA) in Norfolk, which saw the addition of RAM missiles among other upgrades.[19] The ship returned to Naval Station Norfolk on 28 November 2007.[citation needed]

CVW-8 and Theodore Roosevelt participated in Joint Task Force Exercise 08-4 Operation Brimstone off the coast of North Carolina between 21 and 31 July 2008. The British carrier HMS Ark Royal, the amphibious assault ship Iwo Jima with associated units and the Brazilian Navy frigate Greenhalgh (F-46) and the French submarine Améthyste also participated in the event.[20]

Roosevelt left Norfolk on 8 September 2008 for a scheduled deployment to the Middle East with Carrier Air Wing Eight embarked.[21] On 4 October 2008 the ship stopped at Cape Town, South Africa. This was the first visit to Cape Town by a nuclear-powered vessel since the German cargo ship Otto Hahn in the 1970s.[22] Due to poor weather, approximately half of the ship's crew was unable to go ashore on liberty. The ship made four subsequent port stops in Jebel Ali, UAE, including one during the Christmas holiday. CVW-8 and CVN-71 supported Operation Enduring Freedom and flew more than 3,100 sorties and dropped more than 59,500 pounds of ordnance while providing Close Air Support for ISAF-forces in Afghanistan.

On 21 March 2009 Theodore Roosevelt was relieved by USS Dwight D. Eisenhower.[23] The carrier arrived at Norfolk on 18 April.[24]

On 26 August 2009 defense contractor Northrop Grumman was awarded a 2.4 billion dollar contract for Refueling and Complex Overhaul (RCOH) of Theodore Roosevelt which is expected to completed by February 2013.[25]

In popular culture

In the film Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, the ship is sunk when The Fallen along with many other Decepticons come crashing down into the ship destroying it and causing it to sink. In the film she is part of the 2nd Fleet in the Atlantic Ocean, before its actual disestablisment in 2011. One of the crashing Decepticons hit it on the port side next to the catapults, causing the ship to split in two as it sunk. Partly because of this, the ship listed quickly, sinking towards the port bow, and was under in a matter of minutes.

Ship awards

References

  1. ^ a b "USS THEODORE ROOSEVELT – HISTORY". Retrieved 3 July 2009.
  2. ^ Polmar, Norman (2004). The Naval Institute guide to the ships and aircraft of the U.S. fleet. Naval Institute Press. p. 112. ISBN 978-1-59114-685-8.
  3. ^ Kuperman, Alan; von Hippel, Frank (10 April 2020). "US Study of Reactor and Fuel Types to Enable Naval Reactors to Shift from HEU Fuel". International Panel on Fissile Materials. Archived from the original on 5 October 2021. Retrieved 26 February 2022.
  4. ^ Hanlon, Brendan Patrick (19 May 2015). Validation of the Use of Low Enriched Uranium as a Replacement for Highly Enriched Uranium in US Submarine Reactors (PDF) (MSc). Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Archived (PDF) from the original on 9 October 2021. Retrieved 26 February 2022.
  5. ^ Gibbons, Tony (2001). The Encyclopedia of Ships. London, United Kingdom: Amber Books. p. 444. ISBN 978-1-905704-43-9.
  6. ^ "Costing the CVN-21: A DID Primer". Defense Industry Daily. 19-December-2005. Retrieved 27 December 2009. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  7. ^ a b c http://www.tr.surfor.navy.mil/about%20tr/ship%20history.html
  8. ^ Thompson, Roger; ), Roger Thompson (M.A (6 April 2007). "Lessons not learned: The U.S. Navy's status quo culture". ISBN 978-1-59114-865-4. {{cite journal}}: |last2= has numeric name (help); Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  9. ^ http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-47099_ITM. {{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help) [dead link]
  10. ^ Theodore Roosevelt Takes Battenberg Cup. Navy News.
  11. ^ VFA-201 “Hunters” Make History Aboard TR. Navy News.
  12. ^ America's Big Stick Launches Operation Iraqi Freedom Strikes. Navy News.
  13. ^ Seaman, Journalist. (23 March 2004) FOD Walkdown Marks End to Historic Chapter for TR. Navy News.
  14. ^ Fast Cruise Marks End of DPIA for ‘Big Stick’. Navy News.
  15. ^ Theodore Roosevelt CSG Deploys in Support of Global War on Terrorism. Navy News.
  16. ^ USS Theodore Roosevelt Transits Through Suez Canal. Navy News.
  17. ^ TR CSG Offers OIF Air Support. Navy News.
  18. ^ Tomcat Chapter Draws to a Close. Navy News.
  19. ^ Theodore Roosevelt Moves to Shipyard. Navy News.
  20. ^ JTFEX 08-4 "Operation Brimstone" Flexes Allied Force Training. Navy.mil. Retrieved on 2012-05-26.
  21. ^ USS Theodore Roosevelt Deploys in Support of Maritime Security Operations. Navy News.
  22. ^ IOL, USS Theodore gets green light
  23. ^ ''Eisenhower'' Launches OEF Sorties. Navy.mil (21 March 2009). Retrieved on 2012-05-26.
  24. ^ Washington Times, "Carrier Returns To Navy Station", 19 April 2009, p. 7.
  25. ^ DefenseLink: Contracts for Wednesday, 26 August 2009
  26. ^ America's Big Stick Wins 2nd straight Ney Award. Navy News.

External links

Template:Wikipedia books

Wikimedia Commons has media related to USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71).

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=USS_Theodore_Roosevelt_(CVN-71)&oldid=494529427"