USS Enterprise to be dismantled in Mobile

The U.S. Navy’s first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier will be dismantled in Mobile by the end of the decade, according to a recent release from the Department of Defense.

The USS Enterprise (CVN 65), which was built in 1958, will be dismantled with many parts being recycled and the rest being disposed. The Navy awarded a $536,749,731 contract to NorthStar Maritime Dismantlement Services out of Vermont but the actual labor will be completed in Mobile.

The work is expected to be completed by November 2029.

Keep reading to see details on the work being done in Mobile + learn more about the ship’s 60-year history.

Dismantling + recycling

Under the contract, CVN 65 will be dismantled in its entirety + all materials will be properly recycled or disposed.

Specifically, hazardous materials, including low-level radioactive waste, will be packaged and safely transported for disposal at authorized licensed sites.

USS Enterprise CVN 65

USS Enterprise (CVN 65) was officially commissioned in 1961 and served for over five decades.

The ship saw extensive action from the Cold War through post-9/11 operations, becoming a recognizable symbols of the Navy.

The Enterprise was deactivated in 2012, after a return from regular deployment. It was then defueled and officially decommissioned by 2017.

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