Shipyard workers successfully install sponsons to USS Nimitz

Published 1:32 pm Thursday, July 14, 2011

Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility workers reached a milestone last month, successfully installing enormous protrusions to USS Nimitz.

The protrusions, called sponsons, are structures that project from the vessel to support a weapon system or antenna array. The largest assembly weighed 117,000 pounds, according to a statement, and was moved into place June 2 with two bridge cranes working in unison.