USS George Washington and 6,000 Crew Dock in Brisbane One Last Time

The nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS George Washington tied up in Brisbane, Australia, on Friday, June 19, its second trip there in two years and the last for the vessel before it’s replaced by its sister ship, USS Ronald Reagan. Brisbane resident Gene Downs shot this footage of the 1,092 foot-long, 257 foot-wide and 244-foot-high vessel with a four-acre flight deck.

The community is said to be eagerly welcoming the George Washington, which left its home port at the US Navy’s base in Yokosuka, Japan in mid-May. Tourist businesses are enjoying a “mini-boom,” the Brisbane Courier-Mail reported.

As many as 90 aircraft can be based on board the George Washington, the fourth ship in the US Navy to bear that name. Due to budget considerations, it’s not clear whether the George Washington will be drydocked for a $3 billion overhaul and refueling of its reactors, or decommissioned with the Ronald Reagan to take its place.

Downs said the George Washington docked with a significant security presence not seen in the video, with armed police in the area where he took the footage and gunboats on the water. Credit: Facebook/Gene Downs