The Kitty Hawk is on the way to be decommision this year or next and may be sold to India. Wayne
A group based in Wilmington, North Carolina is lobbying to bring the ship to the city after decommissioning to serve as a floating museum alongside the USS North Carolina (BB-55).
The Government of India may also be interested in purchasing the Aircraft Carrier.
I hope someone in America gets it and will respect it for what it is. I'd love to see it come here and live beside the North Carolina, but there's no way they could get a carrier in that small of a space. They had a tough enough time with the battleship.
I'm sort of on the fence with this one. The Kitty Hawk was the only ship I served on during my 6 years in the Navy and I would like to see her continue to project force where she is needed.
She wasn't built to be a museum although if it comes down to razor blades and a museum I would choose the museum.
I am reasonably sure that she won't fit next the North Carolina. Besides, what would they do with all the gators?
Great tour if you are in the 'hood. I didn't realize how much claustrophobia I had until I got below decks in the big gun turret.
I'm so mean, I had a dream of beatin' myself up. 'Broke my nose, I broke my hand, I wrestled myself to the ground and then, I choked myself to death and broke the choke, and woke up. Aaaarrrrrrgh. I'm mean. You know what I mean. If you know what I mean, you'll know what I mean! I'm mean! Meaner than... , I sure am mean. Yeah, mean. I'm meaner than that. You know what I mean. I'm so **** mean! I'm mean!
A big part of selling the KH to India would also mean selling them airplanes. IIRC, the US government is practically giving the KH away in order to make those aircraft sales (and munitions and parts and everything else that goes with it.)
I'm so mean, I had a dream of beatin' myself up. 'Broke my nose, I broke my hand, I wrestled myself to the ground and then, I choked myself to death and broke the choke, and woke up. Aaaarrrrrrgh. I'm mean. You know what I mean. If you know what I mean, you'll know what I mean! I'm mean! Meaner than... , I sure am mean. Yeah, mean. I'm meaner than that. You know what I mean. I'm so **** mean! I'm mean!
I was just on the Kitty hawk in Hong Kong last week, her final foreign port call. The ship looked to be in top shape and the crew was quite welcoming. HK is always a good port call in that region, and the sailors loved it. They had an unusual 6 day visit, probably do to the denial of their last visit at the last minute during Thanksgiving 07. We had the Admiral, CO and Counsel general Say a few words and had a nice buffet in the hangar bay. They took us up on deck and let us look at the planes and choppers. Most of the guests were connected to US companies in HK or the consulate. I myself am a reservist, and always enjoy being on the big boys. Don't worry guys, I have read a lot on the internet about the India transaction, but as far as i know, its a non issue at this point. Maybe too political, who knows.
Selling the Kitty Hawk would mean billions of dollars in sales of aircraft, spare parts and training for the US. It would also put US shipbuilders to work refurbishing the ship at no cost to the US.
U.S.S. Kitty Hawk FS
