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U.S. Navy Reagan Cuts an Imposing Path By Greg Trauthwein From the USS Monitor to Theodore Roosevelt's "Great White" fleet to today's development of the Littoral Combat Ship, the U.S. Navy, its mission and its physical assets have undergone many complete metamorphoses over the country's 227-year history. Despite all of the recent talk of the "new" navy, there is no greater symbol of U.S. Sea Superiority than the nuclear Aircraft Carrier. And. there is arguably no bet- ter namesake for the soon-to-be commissioned CVN- 76 than President Ronald Reagan, whose mission of a 600-ship Navy helped to define a generation. At first glance, from outside appearances, CVN-76 may appear to be a standard nuclear Aircraft Carrier, though "standard" is a gross understatement in this instance. But housed in the hulking grey hull - a hull that measures more than 1,092 ft. (332.8 m) long, towers 20 stories above the waterline and sports a 4.5- acre flight deck - is a wealth of new technology and engineering advancements. These changes service to differentiate the Ronald Reagan from its predecessors and establish it as a platform for future carrier and fleet technology. The Plug-and-Play City A nuclear aircraft carrier is often likened to a stand- alone city, home to 6.000 personnel and self-sustain- ing for up to 90 days at a time, with everything from the most state-of-the-art land-based machine shop to a full dental and surgical unit. Yet these modern manufacturing marvels are the biggest piece in an elaborate web of military might, designed not simply as the platform to launch and recover aircraft, but to serve as the nerve center and processing point for increasing amounts of informa- tion. Ronald Reagan (CVN-76) features a completely redesigned pilothouse — the first major redesign, and the first ever designed using 3-D product modeling. The opening at the aft end brings the on-deck weapons elevator under cover, allowing for weapons handling during flight operations. Take a closer look inside our new tank gauging system, Saab TankRadar® STaR. It will bring intelligence and integration to your tank monitoring—offering a superior range of functions. The new STaR system features a 3-in-1 solution that integrates Level Gauging, High Level and Overfill Alarm systems in a single unit—designed as independent, intrinsically safe, measuring channels. As a result, it's easy to install, maintain and operate. STaR takes advantage of a new sensor technology for safer and more reliable loading and discharge. And it's future-proof—the integration capabilities of STaR ensure compatibility with new and emerging software. STaR is the latest proof of our technology leadership. No wonder that nearly 60% of all the new tank gauging installations in the marine market are designed and delivered by us. EHQrosemount Marine Phone: +46 31 3370 000 • E-mail: sales.marine@marine.saab.se Web: www.saabrosemount.com Circle 257 on Reader Service Card 32 Maritime Reporter & Engineering News
