With the flip of a switch, 244 lightbulbs on the port and starboard sides of the aircraft carrier’s island house sprang to life, illuminating the distinctive number “73.” It was the first time the hull numbers had been turned on since George Washington’s refueling and complex overhaul (RCOH) began in 2017.

“We’re proud of the progress being made on George Washington,” said Todd West, CVN 73 program director for Newport News. “This is a significant milestone in the ship’s overhaul that brings us closer to delivering the ship to the fleet, where the hull lights will be one of the most recognizable and enduring symbols of our freedom for the next 25 years.”

Currently undergoing final outfitting and testing, the overhaul is more than 70% complete.

George Washington is the sixth Nimitz-class aircraft to undergo its mid-life refueling overhaul and maintenance availability that produces a recapitalized carrier capable of supporting current and future warfare doctrine for the next 25 years.

About Huntington Ingalls Industries

Huntington Ingalls Industries is America’s largest military shipbuilding company and a provider of professional services to partners in government and industry. For more than a century, HII’s Newport News and Ingalls shipbuilding divisions in Virginia and Mississippi have built more ships in more ship classes than any other U.S. naval shipbuilder. HII’s Technical Solutions division supports national security missions around the globe with unmanned systems, defense and federal solutions, nuclear and environmental services, and fleet sustainment. Headquartered in Newport News, Virginia, HII employs more than 42,000 people operating both domestically and internationally. For more information, visit: