USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69)

Encyclopedia : U : US : USS : USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69)

USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVAN-69/CVN-69), nicknamed "Ike", is the second of 10 Nimitz-class supercarriers in the United States Navy. Originally, she was named Eisenhower, much like her sister, Nimitz. On May 25, 1970, the name was lengthened to Dwight D. Eisenhower. On commissioning, Ike replaced the aged World War II-era carrier USS Franklin D. Rossevelt in the fleet.

On June 29, 1970, Newport News Shipbuilding of Newport News, Virginia was awarded the contract for construction. On June 30 1975, her designation was changed from CVAN-69 to CVN-69.

She was laid down as hull number 599 on 15 August 1970 at Newport News shipyard at a cost of $679 million, launched 11 October 1975 after christening by Mamie Doud-Eisenhower, and commissioned 18 October 1977, Captain William E. Ramsey in command. Ramsey was later promoted to Rear Admiral after commanding the Ike. Since her commissioning, Ike has had 13 Commanding Officers to date.

Ike was initially assigned to the U.S. Atlantic Fleet, and after 14 months of training, sailed for her first deployment in the Mediterranean in January of 1979. President Carter and Israeli Prime Minister Manachem Begin made a brief visit to the Ike during this cruise while the ship was off the coast of Israel. She returned to Norfolk Naval Station in July of the same year. Under the command of her second Commanding Officer, Captain James H. Mauldin, her second deployment occurred in 1980, when she was dispatched by President Carter to the Indian Ocean(I.O.), in response to the Iran hostage crisis. She relieved the U.S.S. Nimitz 3 days after the Iranian hostage rescue attempt.

As a result of the tensions in the area, she stayed on station off the coast of Iran for over 8 months, and was at sea for a total of 254 days. Sailors on the Ike affectionately dubbed the areas they patrolled in the I.O. as "Gonzo" and "Kermit" station, after the popular Muppets characters. At one point, she spent 152 days (or 5 1/2 months) at sea without a port call, a new record. She was relieved by the USS Independence(CV-62). She returned home to Norfolk on December 22, 1980, just in time for her airwing and crew to celebrate Christmas with their families. 29 days after Ike's return home, the hostages were freed. In total, she has completed eight deployments, including two to the Indian Ocean in 1980 and 1991.

For over 20 years, she held the record for the longest peacetime deployment for an aircraft carrier in history. Prior to this, her sister ship, the U.S.S. Nimitz, was the previous record holder. Eisenhower's record was broken by another of her "sister ships," the USS Theodore Roosevelt.

On her third deployment in 1982, she returned to The Mediterranean Sea, and spent a number of days at sea once again. Her new C.O. was Captain E.W. Clexton, who was formerly her Executive Officer several years earlier under Captain W.E. Ramsey.

After her fourth deployment Ike went into Newport News and Drydock in October 1985 for a major overhaul. The 18-month yard period included the addition of the Close-in Weapons System, NATO Sea Sparrow Missile System, Naval Tactical Data System, anti-submarine warfare module, communications upgrades and rehabilitation of 1,831 berths in 25 compartments. Ike re-entered the fleet in April 1987.

In 1990, Ike completed her sixth Mediterranean deployment. The deployment became a commemorative event in the worldwide 'Dwight D. Eisenhower Centennial,' celebrating the 100th anniversary of the late president's birth. During D-Day anniversary ceremonies off the coast of Normandy, President Eisenhower's son John Eisenhower and D-Day veterans embarked in the ship, while Carrier Air Wing Seven conducted a memorial flyover of the American cemetery at Omaha Beach.

In response to Iraq's invasion of Kuwait, Ike became the first carrier to conduct sustained operations in the Red Sea, and only the second nuclear-powered aircraft carrier ever to transit the Suez Canal. Ike served as a ready striking force in the event Iraq invaded Saudi Arabia, and participated in maritime interception operations in support of a United Nations embargo against Iraq.

After completion of an extensive shipyard period and work ups, Ike deployed 26 September 1991 to the Persian Gulf to continue multi-national operations with coalition forces in support of Operation Desert Storm. Ike returned to Norfolk 2 April 1992, and on 6 January 1993, entered Norfolk Naval Shipyard for overhaul and conversion, returning to the fleet 12 November 1993.

In September 1994, Ike and elements of the U.S. 10th Mountain Division first tested the concept of adaptive force packaging. The division's soldiers and equipment were loaded on board, and the Ike Army/Navy team headed for Port-au-Prince to lead Operation Uphold Democracy, the U.S.-led effort to restore the elected government of Haiti.

One month later, in October 1994, Ike departed for a six-month deployment which included flying missions in support of Operation Southern Watch and Operation Deny Flight. This deployment marked the first time that women had deployed as crew members of a U.S. Navy combatant. Ike, Carrier Wing Three, and COMCRUDESGRU Eight team included more than 400 women.

Ike returned to Newport News Shipbuilding on 17 July 1995 for an 18-month complex overhaul which was completed on 27 January 1997. The ship departed on her 10th deployment on 10 June 1998 and returned in December. In February 1999, Ike returned to the Norfolk Navy Shipyard for a six-month refitting and returned to the fleet in June. Upon completion in June 1999, she returned to full duty in the fleet.

Ike has earned a number of awards, including the Battle "E" in 1979, 1980, 1985, 1990, 1998 and 1999 as the most battle efficient carrier in the Atlantic Fleet. In 1999, she won the Marjorie Sterrett Battleship Fund Award for the Atlantic Fleet.She was awarded The Navy and Marine Corps Expeditionary Medal(1980), the Meritorious Unit Commendation Medal (1990, 1992, 1995, 2001) and the Navy Unit Commendation Ribbon(1980, 1983). Ike also won the Atlantic Fleet Retention Excellence Award (aka the Golden Anchor Award) in 1999.

Deploying in February 2000 and returning that August on the "Millennium Cruise," for the first time Ike's embarked aircraft dropped ordinance in combat while supporting Operation Southern Watch's No-Fly Zone over Iraq. Ike returned on 18 August.

On May 21, 2001, the Ike returned to Newport News Shipbuiding and Drydock Company(NNS&DDC) to begin a 4 year, $2.5 billion overhaul. As well as replacing her two nuclear reactors with a new core, the Dwight D. Eisenhower underwent complex renovations and major technological upgrades during its scheduled half-life overhaul. On January 25, 2005, Ike left NNS&DDC under her own power, and returned to Norfolk Naval Station, and the fleet. The modernizations are expected to extend the ship's service life well beyond 2025.

Eisenhower in fiction

In Tom Clancy's Debt of Honor, Eisenhower is one of two carriers sent to protect Sri Lanka from India.

In Tom Clancy's Executive Orders, Eisenhower is one of two carriers sent to China to establish a U.S. presence after an airliner is shot down.

External links

Nimitz-class aircraft carrier

Nimitz | Dwight D. Eisenhower | Carl Vinson

Modified Nimitz-class aircraft carrier (Theodore Roosevelt-subclass)

List of aircraft carriers of the United States Navy

From Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Original article here. Support Wikipedia by contributing or donating.
All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License See Wikipedia Copyrights for details.

USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69)

Eisenhower in fiction

See also

External links