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Mayport Preparing For Nuclear Carrier, But Homeport Still On Shelf

U.S. Navy

The U.S. Chief of Naval Operations Jonathan Greenertwas in Jacksonville today to meet with Navy officials and others at NAS Jax.

He talked about the importance of Northeast Florida and Southeast Georgia to Navy operations.

Greenert says plans to move the amphibious ready groups to Mayport are on schedule, as are plans to house P-8 Aircraftat NAS Jax.

The long-range plans still call for homeporting  a nuclear aircraft carrier at Mayport, but budget cuts have forced that to be delayed.

Credit Kevin Meerschaert
U.S. Chief of Naval Operations Jonathan Greenert speaks to a luncheon crowd at Naval Air Station Jacksonville.

In the meantime, Greenert says preparations are continuing to get Mayport nuclear carrier ready, which will allow a carrier to come to Mayport if it needs to  be serviced.   

A base-wide power outage hit NAS Jax just as Congressman Ander Crenshaw was about to introduce Greenert, so the Admiral had to abandon his Power Point presentation.

Kevin Meerschaert has left WJCT for new pursuits. He was the producer of First Coast Connect until October of 2018.