Recently, the U.S. Navy comissioned a new ship, the USS Makin Island . Her official commissioning ceremony took place on 24 October 2009 at Naval Air Station North Island, Coronado near San Diego. My grandfather was present, being one of 6 USMC vetrans who attended.

He was also given the honor of passing the spy-glass to the new vessel.

 

“We’re like a big hybrid car,” Kopas, who lives in San Diego, said as the ship neared the coastline. “I love it.”

The Navy predicts it will save $250 million in fuel costs over the life of the ship. Some analysts foresee the Makin Island heralding a shift to a fuel-efficient, all-electric fleet.

“It’s a watershed for the Navy,” said Scott Truver, an independent naval analyst based in Washington, D.C. “It’s a generational change.”

Makin Island is the first Navy vessel to combine gas turbines with auxiliary motors that run off the ship’s electrical grid. Source (here)

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