Joanna Crews
A shipbuilding division of Huntington Ingalls Industries has completed the inactivation of a legacy nuclear-powered aircraft carrier the U.S. Navy decommissioned on Feb. 3, 2017.
Newport News Shipbuilding completed the inactivation base work for the USS Enterprise (CVN 65) in December 2017 and the government contracting office has recently finalized the review and certification of the paperwork, HII said Tuesday.
Chris Miner, vice president of in-service aircraft carrier programs at Newport News Shipbuilding, said the company will leverage its experience for the inactivation of the Nimitz-class aircraft carriers by 2025 starting with CVN 68.
The inactivation process for the USS Enterprise commenced in 2013 and involved eight defueled nuclear reactors, the deactivation of propulsion systems and the hull preparation for the final tow.
The shipbuilding business will conduct post-inactivation work for the ship at the company’s facilities in preparation for storage until the Navy has established a disposal plan.
HII’s shipbuilding division constructed the ship that was christened in September 1960 and served the Navy for 51 consecutive years.
The USS Enterprise was the only one of its class and has participated in the Cuban Missile Crisis and in operations Enduring Freedom and New Dawn.
Newport News Shipbuilding currently constructs in advance the ninth USS Enterprise (CVN 80) aircraft carrier in anticipation for the award of a detail design and construction contract within the year.
