The nuclear-powered carrier will have a crew of 5,500 and will support some 80 airplanes, including the F/A-18 Hornet and Super Hornet fighters, F-14 Tomcat, along logistical and early warning planes, according to the navy.

Former first lady Nancy Reagan was on hand for the ceremony. Reagan, 92, who suffers from Alzheimer's disease, was not present.

The USS Reagan is being fitted out at Norfolk Naval Station. The former first lady also christened the ship, in 2001. Its keel was laid in 1998.

Vice President Dick Cheney told the assembled crowd that Reagan's dedication to defense spending made such ships possible.

Reagan "came to the presidency with a clear understanding of the tools our navy would need to protect the American people and to defend our interests, to honor our commitments to allies and to maintain command of the seas," Cheney said.

The USS Ronald Reagan is to replace the USS Constellation, commissioned in 1961 and overhauled in 1993.

The Reagan's home port is to be San Diego. It is nuclear-powered and the ninth Nimitz-class carrier.

WAR.WIRE