Huntington Ingalls Industries has announced that its Newport News Shipbuilding (NNS) division has recently placed a new upper-level structure on top of the aircraft carrier 'Abraham Lincoln'.
The aircraft carrier is currently undergoing a refueling and overhaul, during which the shipyard refuels the ship's reactors, paints the ship's hull, modernises systems and performs a complete recapitalisation of the entire ship.
The structure, similar to an airport control tower, will contain the ship's primary flight control systems when outfitted, and serves as the platform for many of its various radars and antenna systems.
According to NNS, it is one of the largest structure lifts that will be performed during the RCOH process. At 26.8 metres long and 9.75 metres wide, the structure weighs about 69 tonnes. It was set into place using a 310-tonne gantry crane straddling two different dry docks.
The 'Abraham Lincoln' arrived at NNS in March 2013 and is on track for redelivery by 2016.
