Recently, Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII), a U.S. defense shipbuilding company, signed a contract with the U.S. Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) for a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, worth approximately $95.7 million.
Under the contract, HII will develop preliminary plans for the decommissioning and fuel removal of the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN-68) and conduct long-term procurement of materials.
According to records, the USS Nimitz entered service in 1975 and has a full load displacement of approximately 100,000 tons. It is the longest-serving nuclear-powered aircraft carrier in the U.S. Navy, and its decommissioning has been postponed by one year to March 2027. HII will be responsible for preparing the USS Nimitz for decommissioning, with the work to be carried out at its Newport News Shipbuilding (NNS) facility in Virginia. The project is scheduled to run through March 2027.
According to reports, HII is the largest defense shipbuilder in the United States, operating two major shipyards: Newport News Shipbuilding and Ingalls Shipbuilding.
Ingalls Shipbuilding primarily designs, builds, and maintains amphibious warships, destroyers, and Coast Guard cutters for the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Coast Guard. With a history spanning more than 135 years, Newport News Shipbuilding is responsible for building the U.S. Navy’s surface warships and amphibious warships, as well as U.S. Coast Guard patrol boats.