The giant American aircraft carrier USS George H.W Bush is set to visit the Solent at the end of the month as part of her European and Middle East deployment.
The $6.2billion Nimitz-class supercarrier will arrive in the Solent by Friday next week (28th July) and is expected to remain moored up between Ryde and Portsmouth throughout the weekend.
At a tad under 1,100ft (333m) long she is too big to enter Portsmouth Harbour and therefore will take up position off Stokes Bay, offering Islanders a clear view of the warship from Ryde Pier and Ryde Esplanade.
The ship’s company of over 5,000 sailors are expected to descend on Portsmouth City during the weekend stay, which is often a much-welcomed boost to the local economy.
USS George H.W Bush was completed in 2009 and last visited local waters in May 2012. She is named after the 41st President of the United States and former Director of Central Intelligence George H. W. Bush, who was a naval aviator during World War II.
