CVN 77 George H.W. Bush

Pre-Commissioned ??? 10 January 2009 (nice photos):

« 98.000 tonnes de diplomatie » supplémentaires pour l'US Navy

http://www.meretmarine.com/article.cfm?id=109216

Also:

Pour son autodéfense, le CVN 77 dispose, en plus de sa chasse embarquée, de deux lanceurs verticaux (24 missiles ESSM) et deux systèmes surface-air à courte portée RAM

http://www.meretmarine.com/article.cfm?id=109171

But I only see an usual octuple Mk 29 (ssb) mount in the first place photos and not VLS, and I guess the "24 missiles ESSM" is the total, with reloads, in each mount.

And the launching of ESSM from Mk 29 mount from CVN 74:

USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) claimed the first successful hit and kill with the Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile (ESSM) during a Combat System Ship's Qualification Trials (CSSQT) off the coast of Southern California Oct. 7

http://www.news.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=40222

I've replaced an Mk 29 mount with ESSM in my personal database in the entry 2367 Theodore Roosevelt

And the doubts about her "pre-commission":

The Nimitz-class carrier, built by Northrop Grumman Corp. at its Newport News, Va., shipyard, is rated at 97% complete. Defense News

http://www.smartbrief.com/news/aia/storyDe...33-B731892E1489

The carrier is not yet ready to sail but the Navy did not want to delay its commissioning; tugboats pulled it to Norfolk.

The day the carrier is commissioned, it will be given the status "In Commission, Special." This allows it to take the name USS George H.W. Bush but means the Navy still won't "own" it yet.

http://hamptonroads.com/2008/12/carrier-ge...-pulled-norfolk

Also, another topic about CVN 75, a very expensive machine gun carrier :

Enfin, contre les menaces asymétriques, comme les petites embarcations, une dizaine de mitrailleuses de 12.7 mm sont disposés autour de la coque

http://www.meretmarine.com/article.cfm?id=107692

And finally, I added ten 12,7 MG to my entry 2367 Theodore Roosevelt