World’s First Nuclear-Powered Aircraft Carrier Sets Sail On Final Journey To Alabama For Dismantling

The world’s first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, the USS Enterprise of the U.S Navy began its final journey to Mobile, Alabama for scrapping, an endeavour that would cost Washington over $1 billion and stretch till the end of this decade.

The ship departed from Newport News Shipbuilding, Virginia and is expected to reach its destination around November 13, 2026. Kevin Cormier, Navy’s deputy portfolio acquisition executive, said that the aircraft carrier will be remembered for its legacy, made possible by the sailors and support personnel whose dedication always kept it mission ready throughout her career.

He added that all the crew and officers of USS Enterprise should take pride in the role they played to ensure the ship remained an example of naval excellence. The fuel has been removed although nuclear reactors need to be carefully dismantled and disposed of.

The navy said that all the components would be either recycled or packaged and shipped to licenced sites for disposal. The latter is applicable for radioactive waste and similar parts.

Designated CVN-65, the ship was commissioned in 1960 and entered service the following year as the first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier in the world and a symbol of fine U.S naval engineering.

The former USS Enterprise was part of many important operations which took place during the Cuban Missile Crisis to beyond the Iraq War.

The ship sailed over a million nautical miles in over 50 years of its active service life, finally getting deactivated in 2012 and decommissioned in 2017.

NorthStar CEO Jeff Adix said that his company’s Marine Dismantlement Services team is prepared to receive the historic ship and that they have the required expertise, skill and equipment to begin work and complete it safely along with handling other projects ongoing in the facility.

A spot for the carrier has been reserved on the waterfront near the SS United States which has remained there for almost two years. In a week or so, it would be towed and sunk off Florida to become an artificial reef.

A Ford-class aircraft carrier will be the next U.S warship to bear the name Enterprise, becoming the 9th ship to carry the name.