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WASHINGTON: The U.S. Navy announced March 30 that the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) will conduct a homeport change, returning to the West Coast and will likely relocate to San Diego in early 2010.
After a thorough review of prospective homeports, the Secretary of the Navy selected San Diego as the preferred alternative after evaluating a number of factors, including its existing infrastructure, family support facilities, and proximity to training areas. The decision is subject to a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS).
The Navy currently has two CVNs, USS Nimitz (CVN 68) and USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) homeported in San Diego. San Diego is also an onload/offload site for carrier air wings embarking aboard West Coast carriers.
The 2006 Quadrennial Defense Review calls for the presence of six of the Navy’s 11 carrier strike groups to reside in the Pacific.
“Having six of our aircraft carriers in the Pacific greatly enhances our nation’s security,” said Secretary of the Navy Donald C. Winter. “It will help protect our vital interests, reassure our friends and allies, and maintain unfettered access to sea lanes.”
USS Carl Vinson is currently undergoing a maintenance period in Northrop Grumman Newport News Shipyard in Virginia. The Navy’s preference to homeport Carl Vinson in San Diego is consistent with the Navy’s decision in 2000 to create capacity to homeport three CVNs in San Diego.
The final decision on a homeport for the Carl Vinson will be made after completion of a SEIS that will examine changes that may have occurred since the Navy completed its original environmental analysis in 2000.
