Norfolk Naval Shipyard completed the installation of the main mast aboard USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) Aug. 20, marking the latest milestone in the ship’s 13-month dry docking planned incremental availability. The 112,000-pound mast – standing 10 feet taller and 23,000 pounds heavier than the mast removed on June 18 – supports the modernization of the carrier’s combat systems suite and radars for its new weapons systems.
The mast required more than two years and two shipyards to build. As part of Naval Sea Systems Command’s “One Shipyard” concept, Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility assisted with fabrication of the mast. Despite the challenges associated with the mast’s height and weight, it was raised in a single lift. The mast was installed by a 450-ton Liebhern crane, similar to cranes used to build roller coasters.