The Navy’s Nimitz-class USS John C. Stennis (CVN-74) aircraft carrier went underway for sea trials Aug. 11, part of a planned six-month maintenance period.

CVN-74 entered a planned incremental availability (PIA) last February at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility (PSNS & IMF) in Bremerton, Wash. During the PIA, the ship will get improved operational systems, upgraded  navigation systems and refurbished crew berthing spaces, the Navy said.

Sailors and maintenance facility employees reattach an anchor to the USS John C Stennis’ port anchor chain after it is taken off for maintenance and repainting during a scheduled maintenance period. U.S. Navy photo: by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Nick A. Grim.
Sailors and maintenance facility employees reattach an anchor to the USS John C Stennis’ port anchor chain after it is taken off for maintenance and repainting during a scheduled maintenance period. U.S. Navy photo: by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Nick A. Grim.

The Stennis’ PIA has had the largest-ever planned work package for a six-month availability for a Nimitz-class carrier and began three days ahead of schedule. This included 2.8 million man-hours of work for the ship’s sailors, the maintenance facility, and contractors.

“I am tremendously proud of the hard work and dedication required to reach this milestone, and look forward to seeing the ship and crew in action as we begin our at-sea training cycle,” Capt. Gregory Huffman, the Stennis‘ commanding officer, said in a statement.

The final part of the PIA includes taking the ship to sea to demonstrate that the new, repaired, and refurbished systems are operating as designed.