Planning begins for Harry S Truman overhaul and refuelling

The USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) will undergo refuelling and complex overhaul (RCOH) which will include its engineering, design, material procurement and fabrication, documentation, resource forecasting and pre-overhaul inspections under an advanced planning contract awarded to HII worth US$913 million.

The Harry S. Truman is a Nimitz-class nuclear-powered aircraft carrier which was christened in 1996 and delivered to the Navy in 1998. The ship will be the eighth Nimitz-class carrier to undergo RCOH, representing 35% of all maintenance and modernisation completed during its 50-year service life.

The contract was awarded to HII’s Newport News (NNS) division and Rob Check, NNS vice president of in-service aircraft carrier programmes, said the contract was “vitally important to the overall success of an engineering and construction project of this magnitude on the aircraft carriers”.

“This contract allows us to properly plan for each step in the overhaul process, from preparing for the ship’s arrival at NNS to its redelivery back to the Navy,” Check noted. 

In June 2020, HII was awarded a $17.2 million contract for maintenance and modernisation work on the Harry S Truman and in 2016 was awarded a $52 million for upgrade works.

Shephard reported in 2019 that the mid-life refuelling was in doubt, according to several US lawmakers, but the latest contract means the life of the platform would likely stretch out for another three or four decades.