The USS Enterprise (CVN-65) is a name synonymous with naval history. The world’s first nuclear-powered carrier, she served the United States for over half a century before being finally decommissioned. But her tale does not end with retirement—dismantling a ship of this magnitude and sophistication has been one of the Navy’s most daunting and historic endeavors.
As opposed to the run-of-the-mill ships, which can be scrapped or sunk as targets with much less trouble, nuclear carriers present a completely different series of dilemmas. The Enterprise was not just any ship. Measuring 1,101 feet and fueled by eight nuclear reactors, she was a product of the first generation of naval nuclear propulsion. Compared to newer submarines and cruisers that operate on one or two reactors, making retirement much simpler, the Enterprise is a vastly larger vessel. And since the 1980s, the Navy has retired more than 140 reactor compartments from smaller ships, but the size of the Enterprise makes this work entirely different.
The question for years was: how do you safely decommission something of this magnitude without interfering with the Navy’s capacity to maintain its active fleet at a combat-ready level? Employing public shipyards, like the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, was an early option, but soon it became apparent that it wasn’t feasible.
It would take the job 15 years or more, occupy valuable space in the docks, and cost over $1.4 billion. Even the Navy itself issued an environmental impact statement warning that using public facilities alone would be slowing down maintenance work on ships still in commission.
Confronted with these facts, the Navy chose to take a different tack—enlisting commercial industry know-how to attack the problem. This was a significant departure from previous practice and resulted in the establishment of the Nuclear-Powered Aircraft Carrier Inactivation and Disposal Program Office, or PMS 368. Rear Adm. Casey Moton has referred to the decommissioning of Enterprise as both an enormous undertaking and a historic achievement, one that provides the Navy an opportunity to leverage the capabilities of the private sector while reserving public yards to keep the fleet in commission.
The decision to form a dedicated program office reflects just how complex and long-term this mission is. With the last Nimitz-class carrier not expected to retire until the mid-2060s, PMS 368 will be at the center of developing safe, efficient processes for retiring nuclear carriers for decades to come. Capt. William B. Cleveland, selected to command the program, has noted that only the United States has constructed nuclear-powered carriers of this magnitude, putting the Enterprise project in a position of being the world’s first.
Environmental and financial factors have dictated the Navy’s course of action. In 2023, the final Record of Decision established commercial dismantling as the preferred pathway. This option is estimated to take around five years—half the length of a public shipyard effort—and save around 50 percent of the cost.
It also saves greenhouse gas emissions and allows the Navy’s public shipyards to remain focused on active ships. The success the Navy had in applying commercial work for Surface Ship Support Barge decommissioning in 2023 led leaders to believe the same strategy could be applied to Enterprise.
The hiring of NorthStar Maritime Dismantlement Services was a turning point. The firm was contracted for over $536 million to dismantle, recycle, and dispose of the former Enterprise. Work will be performed in Mobile, Alabama, for delivery in late 2029. The agreement not only shows the Navy’s willingness to draw on commercial talent for highly sophisticated nuclear work, but sets the stage for future carrier disposals.
The advantages extend beyond this particular project. By not committing public shipyard space to extended utilization, the Navy will be able to sustain its operational tempo and preserve ships already in service. The Enterprise experience will inform the way that the Navy manages the ultimate retirement of the ten Nimitz-class carriers, making future efforts less bumpy and more cost-effective.
As the Navy continues to evolve, the Enterprise disposal project is both a technical problem and a strategic imperative. It’s a mission that will have a lasting impact on how the Navy operates its aging nuclear fleet, weighing safety, readiness, environmental stewardship, and affordability well into the years to come.