Amazing USS Ronald Reagan Facts That You Probably Didn't Know!

Abhijeet Modi
Oct 30, 2023 By Abhijeet Modi
Originally Published on Mar 11, 2022
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Find USS Ronald Reagan facts here.

The USS Ronald Reagan is a supercarrier of the Nimitz class in the U.S. Navy's fleet.

They named it after Ronald W. Reagan, former President, as the ninth ship of her class. The ship was commissioned on July 12, 2003, at Newport News Shipbuilding in Newport News, Virginia.

Between 2006 and 2011, Ronald Reagan was deployed five times to the Pacific and the Middle East while stationed at Naval Air Station North Island.

Carrier Ronald Reagan took over as the flagship of Carrier Strike Group Five, the only forward-based Ronald Reagan strike group stationed out of Yokosuka, Japan, as part of the United States Seventh Fleet, in October 2015.

Ronald Reagan has been conducting regular summer patrols in the western Pacific in the U.S. Seventh Fleet area of operations since 2016.

The USS Ronald Reagan CVN 76 was the first aircraft carrier and formed a carrier strike group. It was the first warship with nuclear power and was named for a live former president Reagan of any kind.

Ronald Reagan got her second certification for flight deck on May 8, 2004, after a five-month post-shakedown availability period that covered all flying operations, including aircraft launch and recovery, safety, crash and salvage, fuel certifications, and training.

History Of USS Ronald Reagan

The official paperwork to construct Ronald Reagan in honor of former President Ronald Reagan was on December 8, 1994, and her base was completed on February 12, 1998. The ship's budget increased many times before it could be finished, costing 4.5 billion dollars. One of them was a ship island that had been modified.

For the first time in his life, Ronald Reagan stepped foot aboard a ship in July 2003. As a Navy unit, the ship's crew was ordered to 'man the ship and bring her to life' Nancy Reagan.

Vice President Dickey Cheney was also there with his wife, Lynne Cheney. Alzheimer's condition prevented President Reagan from attending the launch and commissioning of the space shuttle.

Almost exactly a year after his death, at the last rites, the ship's commanding officer, Captain James Symonds, gave Mrs. Reagan the flag that covered the coffin. This flag flew above Capitol Hill on January 20, 1981, as President Ronald Reagan was inaugurated.

Afterward, Captain Symonds presented Mrs. Reagan with the flag that had flown over the former President at his death.

On May 8, 2004, Reagan obtained flight deck certification and set sail from Norfolk Naval Shipyard, Virginia, through Cape Horn to Naval Air Station North Island in San Diego, California.

The crew arrived at Newport News Shipbuilding on October 30, 2002, and the ship was commissioned on July 12, 2003, at Naval Station Norfolk, under the command of Captain J. W. Goodwin.

On January 4, 2006, the ship departed San Diego to conduct naval and maritime security operations in the Persian Gulf.

On December 15, 2007, the carrier ship answered a distress call from a cruise ship. It was a medical emergency of a ruptured appendix in a teenager on a Mexican cruise.

The boy was airlifted by a helicopter and was taken to Ronald Reagan. On the Ronald Regan, an emergency appendectomy was performed by the ship's surgeon, and the boy was saved!

During 2017 selected restricted availability maintenance, the ship returned to San Diego Bay following deployment, and in 2011 sailors' vehicles were transported on the trip from San Diego to Bremerton in 2012.

Features Of USS Ronald Reagan

The USS Ronald Reagan CVN 76 seal was designed entirely by her plank owner crew for major military operations, with historical assistance provided by Presidential Library Foundation staff members. The red rim that identifies the White House China designed for the Reagans during their White House years is comparable to the red border surrounding the ship's seal.

Reagan's bulbous bow has been modified to increase impulse planning and snip firmness. The bulb generates a wave system that interacts with the wave system of the hull to reduce resistance at a particular friction factor (or speed). The carrier air wing was prepared to take tactical command of operations from the ship.

The angle of the flight deck from the centerline has increased from 9.05 degrees to 9.15 degrees. This enables unrestricted simultaneous aircraft launch and recovery. There are three wires instead of four and one less arresting gear engine.

This frees up more room for other important items. Due to stronger wire sheaves, the new three-wire arresting gear design can survive more aircraft landings than the original design. Her aircraft elevators are also larger than those on her sister's ships.

When it came to vacations, this vessel was a fantastic fit. All aircraft onboard and in the carrier's aircraft are visible from the island's refurbished, cutting-edge aircraft flight control system. This larger, more expansive perspective makes improved vision and control of the flight deck's precise motions possible.

Size And Capacity Of USS Ronald Reagan

The USS Ronald Reagan CVN 76 is built along the same design lines and has the same ocean-going capabilities as the Nimitz-class ships of the '70s. With a starboard-side island superstructure positioned just aft of amidships, she features a nearly all-flat flight deck.

Two catapults are over the forecastle, and two are along the ship's port side. The Reagan can also quickly launch and retrieve helicopters, including special forces aircraft.

The ship had a length of 1,092 ft (333 m), a beam of 252 ft (77 m), and a draught of 37 ft (11 m).

The crew complement totals 3,200 people and comprises officers, enlisted personnel, security personnel, and so forth. The air wing adds another 2,480 people to the mix, bringing the total number of people onboard to 5,680 at any given time, practically a floating little American town.

Reagan can support up to 90 fixed-wing or rotary-wing aircraft at any given moment. This gives the carrier much tactical flexibility in any theater because she can field a wide range of aircraft to suit whatever operational role is required.

This comprises two Westinghouse A4W reactors connected to four steam turbines driving four shafts. The ship's total output power rises to 260,000 shaft horsepower, reaching a top speed of nearly 30 knots or 34.5 mph (55.5 kph).

Commander And Crew Of USS Ronald Reagan

Capt. Kenneth J. Norton, commanding the USS Ronald Reagan of naval operations, departed NAS North Island for a scheduled deployment.

The USS Ronald Reagan CVN 76 has 387 crew members registered.

The Navy regularly trains on this huge aircraft carrier.

FAQs

How many aircraft did the USS Ronald Reagan have?
Ronald Reagan had almost 90 aircraft carriers.

How much did the USS Ronald Reagan cost?
The cost was approximately 4.5 billion dollars.

How did the USS Ronald Reagan sink?
It was sunk after being hit by torpedoes staged as part of a war exercise involving a carrier task force with several antisubmarine escorts against HSMS Gotland, a tiny Swedish diesel-powered submarine weighing just 1,600 tonnes.

How many sailors were on the USS Ronald Reagan?
There were almost 3532 sailors of the ship's company and 2480 sailors of airwing.

What class of carrier is the USS Ronald Reagan?
It was from the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier Ronald Reagan subclass.

How many fleets does the U.S. Navy have?
The U.S. Navy has seven active numbered fleets.

Which U.S. Fleet is the biggest?
Seventh Fleet is the biggest U.S. Fleet.

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Sources

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Ronald_Reagan#:~:text=On 19 August 2022 Ronaldhome port of Yokosuka Japan

https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/sunk-how-sweden-sent-americas-uss-ronald-reagan-bottom-sea-126707

https://www.businessinsider.com/how-swedish-sub-ran-rings-around-us-aircraft-carrier-escorts-2021-7#:~:text=In 2005 the US Navy'srelatively cheap diesel-powered boat

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Written by Abhijeet Modi

Master of Computer Science

Abhijeet Modi picture

Abhijeet ModiMaster of Computer Science

An experienced and innovative entrepreneur and creative writer, Abhijeet holds a Bachelor's and Master's degree in Computer Application from Birla Institute of Technology, Jaipur. He co-founded an e-commerce website while developing his skills in content writing, making him an expert in creating blog posts, website content, product descriptions, landing pages, and editing articles. Passionate about pushing his limits, Abhijeet brings both technical expertise and creative flair to his work.

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