World’s First Nuclear Aircraft Carrier Set For Dismantling Under $536M Plan

USS Enterprise (CVN-65) — Image Credits: Wikipedia

The U.S. Department of Defense has awarded NorthStar Maritime Dismantlement Services LLC, based in Vernon, Vermont, a $536,749,731 firm-fixed-price contract to dismantle, recycle, and dispose of the decommissioned aircraft carrier USS Enterprise (CVN 65). This vessel was the first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier in the United States Navy and the world.

The work will be carried out in Mobile, Alabama, and is expected to finish by November 2029.

Under this contract, the USS Enterprise will be fully dismantled, with all recovered materials either recycled or properly disposed of. Hazardous materials, including low-level radioactive waste, will be carefully packaged and transported to authorised licensed disposal sites to ensure safety and compliance with environmental regulations.

The contract funds, which come from the Navy’s fiscal 2025 operations and maintenance budget, totaling approximately $533.7 million, will be obligated at the time of award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year.

This contract was awarded after a competitive process using the Procurement Integrated Enterprise Environment system. Three offers were submitted for consideration, with NorthStar Maritime selected over competitors from Newport News, Virginia, and Brownsville, Texas.

NorthStar Maritime Dismantlement Services is a partnership between NorthStar Group Services and Modern American Recycling and Radiological Services. The firm announced its bid in November 2024. While Brownsville had experience dismantling conventional U.S. Navy aircraft carriers, NorthStar’s proposal was ultimately chosen for this specialised nuclear carrier dismantling.

The decision to dismantle the USS Enterprise follows years of debate that began after the carrier was officially decommissioned in 2017. The Navy released a report in 2022 exploring different options for the ship’s fate, including continuing to hold it in lay-up status or dismantling it. In 2023, the Navy expressed a preference for dismantling the ship at a commercial facility rather than using its own shipyard space, which is limited.

Although the USS Enterprise’s nuclear reactors were defueled, some hazardous and radiological waste materials, known as “legacy wastes,” remain onboard. During dismantling, these materials will be carefully removed and contained for safe shipment to licensed disposal facilities. NorthStar will be responsible for dismantling the rest of the vessel.

The dismantling project is expected to bring economic benefits to Mobile, Alabama, a city that has recently seen increased maritime activity. The arrival of the historic ocean liner SS United States at the Mobile shipyard has resulted in a mini tourism surge as the liner is being prepared for reefing. Despite earlier concerns raised by the Mobile Chamber of Commerce about potential contamination or accidents related to the dismantling, the Navy and contractors have assured strict safety and environmental protections.

The USS Enterprise, nicknamed “Big E,” was the longest naval vessel ever built. Measuring 1,123 feet (342 meters) long at the flight deck and displacing around 94,000 tons, she remains a unique and iconic ship in naval history.

Throughout her service life, Enterprise was part of many critical U.S. Navy operations. These include the Cuban Missile Crisis blockade, combat missions during the Vietnam War, evacuation of the U.S. Embassy in Saigon, post-9/11 strikes against Al Qaeda and Taliban targets, and supporting missions in the Persian Gulf. The carrier also played a role in the early U.S. space program by tracking John Glenn’s Friendship 7 orbital flight.

Commissioned in 1961, Enterprise was originally intended to be the lead ship of a class of nuclear carriers, but only she was built. The Navy learned from her design to develop the highly successful Nimitz-class carriers that followed. Enterprise underwent several overhauls and life extension refits, including a major upgrade after a 1969 fire, and further modernisations in the 1990s and 2008-2010.

Enterprise completed her final deployment in March 2012 and was officially deactivated in December that year. She was formally decommissioned on February 3, 2017, after more than 55 years of service, and her name was removed from the Naval Vessel Register.

Reference: U.S. DepartmentofDefense

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