The Navy today said the aircraft carrier USS Kitty Hawk will replace the USS George Washington in upcoming Rim of the Pacific, or Rimpac, war games off Hawai'i as repairs are made to the fire-damaged George Washington in San Diego.

The 1,092-foot George Washington is in port at Naval Air Station North Island. The time line for repairs has not been determined, but the decision was made to use the Kitty Hawk for Rimpac June 29 through July 31, the Navy said.

A fire that broke out on the George Washington at sea on May 22 off the coast of South America spread to multiple spaces via cableways, causing extreme heat and trapping four sailors for more than four hours.

There were no serious injuries. Twenty-three sailors were treated for heat stress, and one sailor was treated for first-degree burns.

U.S. Pacific Fleet said on Friday that a "comprehensive damage assessment" had nearly been completed for the damage, which was primarily electrical with some structural and mechanical repairs also needed.

The George Washington is replacing the Kitty Hawk in Yokosuka, Japan, as the United States' forward deployed aircraft carrier in the Pacific. The carriers were expected for a historic rendezvous in Pearl Harbor yesterday, with the two flattops tied up side-by-side at Hotel Pier.

A swap of 500 or more crew members had been planned here over several days this week. Many family members had made reservations in Honolulu for the event. When and where the crew exchange now will occur is unclear.

Rimpac, a big biennial exercise held since 1971, this year will include 10 nations, 35 ships, six submarines, more than 150 aircraft and 20,000 sailors, airmen, Marines, soldiers and Coast Guardsmen, the Navy said. Participation from Australia, Canada, Chile, Japan, the Netherlands, Peru, South Korea, Singapore, the United Kingdom and the U.S. is expected.

The George Washington had been conducting a routine replacement at sea with the Pearl Harbor-based frigate Crommelin when smoke was observed on the carrier. It took several hours to contain and extinguish the fire.

The Kitty Hawk, the oldest active ship in the Navy fleet, was first deployed in 1961. It was expected to be in San Diego for several weeks before heading to Bremerton, Wash., for decommissioning, but the Rimpac participation has pushed back its schedule.

Adm. Jonathan Greenert, commander of U.S. Fleet Forces Command, previously said the decommissioning wouldn't take place until early 2009 at the earliest, and only after the commissioning of the aircraft carrier George H.W. Bush.