The former USS Enterprise (CVN 65), the first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier in the world, started its last journey on Monday, November 2. It left Newport News Shipbuilding in Virginia and is being towed to Mobile, Alabama, where it will be dismantled.
This marks a significant step in the retirement of a famous U.S. Navy ship, nearly 14 years after its last deployment and almost a decade since it was decommissioned.
Known as "Big E," the Enterprise served for over 50 years and became a symbol of American military strength, being the first aircraft carrier to use nuclear power.
The ship will be taken to a dismantling facility in Mobile, where NorthStar Maritime Dismantlement Services will handle the project. This $418.5 million contract was awarded by the Navy in July 2026 and includes dismantling, recycling, and disposing of the entire ship, including its eight defueled nuclear reactors.
The dismantling work is expected to be completed by September 2030.
This decision follows the Navy's 2023 choice to use commercial dismantling services instead of public shipyards. The Navy believes that this method could cut disposal costs by about half, speed up the dismantling process, and allow public shipyards to focus on fleet maintenance.
This project will also serve as a trial run for the eventual dismantling of the Navy's Nimitz-class nuclear-powered aircraft carriers.
NorthStar is working with Modern American Recycling and Radiological Services, part of Modern American Recycling Services, for the dismantling in Mobile. Recyclable materials from the ship will be processed, while low-level radioactive waste and other harmful materials will be sent to authorized disposal sites.
A Historic Carrier’s Final Chapter
The USS Enterprise was commissioned on November 25, 1961, making it the first aircraft carrier powered by nuclear reactors and the eighth U.S. Navy ship to carry the name.
At 1,123 feet long, it was one of the largest warships ever built and was powered by eight nuclear reactors that drove four propeller shafts.
During its service, the Enterprise took part in key U.S. military operations over the last fifty years, including the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Vietnam War, and operations in Afghanistan and Iraq.
In 1964, the Enterprise participated in Operation Sea Orbit, where it traveled around the world with the nuclear-powered cruiser USS Long Beach and destroyer leader USS Bainbridge without refueling.
By the end of its final deployment in 2012, the Enterprise had traveled over one million nautical miles using nuclear power.
The carrier was officially retired in December 2012 and decommissioned on February 3, 2017, becoming the first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier in Navy history to undergo this process.
Its nuclear fuel was removed at Newport News Shipbuilding, where the ship stayed while the Navy developed its disposal plan.
Kevin Cormier, Deputy Portfolio Acquisition Executive for Maritime Aircraft Carriers, remarked, "Enterprise will always be remembered for her proud legacy of service, a legacy made possible by the Sailors and support staff whose dedication kept her mission-ready." He added, "All who served aboard and supported this historic ship should take pride in their vital role in supporting the fleet."
While the original nuclear-powered Enterprise is being dismantled, its name will continue on the future USS Enterprise (CVN 80), which is currently being built at Newport News Shipbuilding.