20 May 2003 : Yokosuka-Japan. Hull inspection teams examine Kitty Hawk in dry dock, Yokosuka is also the carrier's home base, making it the only forward-deployed carrier. She changed home port from San Diego to Yokosuka and relieved USS Independence (CV-62) of this forward duty. Nevertheless, her operational range is protection of US global interests including Japan, South Korea, South China Sea, Indian Ocean, Persian Gulf, etc. Photo inset shows Yokosuka harbor with US naval base facilities at bottom, Azuma Hanto island at top, behind the island is Nagura harbor. Civilian port of Yokosuka located over the hill south of US base. Commander Fleet Activities Yokosuka - www.cfay.navy.mil/

Note that a diesel-powered rather than nuclear carrier was assigned to this forward base (Kitty Hawk uses about 1,000 barrels of fuel a day, creating a very expensive fuel bill). Plans are to keep this 40+ year carrier on active service through 2008 due to multiple potential global conflicts. US and Japan reached agreement on 1 December 2005 in replacing Kitty Hawk with nuclear-powered USS George Washington (CVN-73) Nimitz-class carrier in 2008. The Battle Cat is scheduled for decommission in 2009. USS George Washington (CVN-73) - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_George_Washington_%28CVN-73%29

Carrier's massive propellers revealed during dry dock maintenance. 8 steam boilers produced about 280,000 ship horse-power to 4 steam turbine engines, which drove four blades (screws) for this 60,000 ton warship to a speed circa 35 knots, but with full displacement of men and weapons the weight jumps to about 82,000 tons (ship's dead weight is about 21,000 tons). Carrier's armor hull thickness is still classified information. Yokosuka, Japan 35°17'N 139°40'E - www.globalsecurity.org/military/facility/yokosuka.htm