Summary and Key Points: The USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76) and USS George Washington (CVN-73) are undergoing a "hull swap" at Naval Air Station North Island, with the George Washington returning to Yokosuka, Japan, as the U.S. Navy's forward-deployed carrier effective August 1.

-This transition, involving personnel and equipment transfers, follows Ronald Reagan's nearly decade-long service in the Indo-Pacific.

-After the swap, the Ronald Reagan will go to Bremerton, Washington, for maintenance.

-The George Washington previously served as the Forward-Deployed Naval Forces-Japan carrier and recently completed an extended Refueling and Complex Overhaul (RCOH) at Newport News Shipbuilding in Virginia.

Two of the United States Navy's Nimitz-class nuclear-powered supercarriers have spent this week not at sea, but rather have been dealing with a delicate dance that is a "hull swap," which is being conducted at Naval Air Station North Island in San Diego. It involves the USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76) and her sister ship USS George Washington (CVN-73) as the two 1,092-foot-long warships mark the changeover of the U.S. Navy's forward-deployed carrier.

When completed, CVN-73 will return to Yokosuka, Japan, as the sea service's only Forward-Deployed Naval Forces-Japan (FDNF-J) aircraft carrier, which is effective August 1. The two crews are working to make the transition go as smoothly as possible. USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76) has been the forward-deployed carrier since........

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