Huntington Ingalls Industries announced that its Newport News Shipbuilding division has completed the inactivation of the aircraft carrier Enterprise (CVN 65).
As part of the complex process that began in 2013, more than 1,000 shipbuilders defueled Enterprise’s eight nuclear reactors, inactivated its propulsion systems and prepared its hull for final tow. Newport News Shipbuilding completed the inactivation base work in December 2017, and the government contracting office review and certification of the paperwork has just been completed. The ship will remain at Newport News to complete post-inactivation work to prepare the ship for storage in the Hampton Roads area until a disposal plan is determined by the US Navy.
“This is bittersweet moment for us,” said Chris Miner, Newport News’ vice president of in-service aircraft carrier programs. “Enterprise has meant so much to Newport News Shipbuilding and the men and women who helped cement her place in history. With all of the lessons we learned from inactivating the first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier in our company’s 130-year history, we look forward to bringing that knowledge to the inactivation of the Nimitz class of aircraft carriers, beginning with CVN 68 in 2025.”
Built by Newport News shipbuilders and christened in September 1960, Enterprise provided a record 51 consecutive years of service to the Navy. The only one of its class, the aircraft carrier aided in the Cuban Missile Crisis and operations Enduring Freedom and New Dawn, as well as naval maritime security operations.
The ship was decommissioned on Feb. 3, 2017.
Newport News Shipbuilding currently is performing advance construction on the aircraft carrier Enterprise (CVN 80), the ninth U.S. Navy ship to bear the legendary name. Award of the CVN 80 detail design and construction contract is anticipated in 2018.