USS Enterprise (CVN-80)

2025 Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carrier

USS Enterprise (CVN-80) will be the third Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carrier to be built for the United States Navy.[2][3] She will be the ninth United States naval vessel to bear the name, and is scheduled to be in operation by 2027. Her construction began in August 2017 with a steel-cutting ceremony.[4]

Artist's impression of the future CVN-80
History
United States
NameEnterprise
NamesakeUSS Enterprise (CVN-65)
Awarded23 May 2016
BuilderHuntington Ingalls Industries
Laid down2020 (planned)
Launched2025 (planned)
Sponsored byKatie Ledecky and Simone Biles
Commissioned2028 (planned)
IdentificationCVN-80
StatusUnder construction[1]
General characteristics
Class and typeGerald R. Ford-class aircraft carrier
DisplacementAbout 100,000 long tons (100,000 tonnes) (full load)
Length1,106 ft (337 m)
Beam134 ft (41 m)
Draft39 ft (12 m)
Installed powerTwo A1B nuclear reactors
PropulsionFour shafts
SpeedIn excess of 30 knots (56 km/h; 35 mph)
RangeUnlimited distance; 20–25 years
Complement4,660
Armament
Aircraft carriedMore than 80, approx. up to 90 combat aircraft
Aviation facilities1,092 ft × 256 ft (333 m × 78 m) flight deck

Naming

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On 1 December 2012, during the presentation of a pre-recorded speech at the inactivation ceremony for USS Enterprise (CVN-65), then-Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus announced that CVN-80 would be named Enterprise.[5] She will be the ninth ship and the third aircraft carrier in the history of the United States Navy to bear the name.[3] CVN-80 will also be the first American supercarrier not to be named in honor of a person since the America was commissioned in 1966. In December 2016, Mabus chose Olympic gold medalists Katie Ledecky and Simone Biles to sponsor the ship.[6]

Construction

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Olympians Simone Biles and Katie Ledecky along with Jennifer Boykin sign a 35-ton steel plate used to begin the construction of Enterprise

CVN-80 will be built by Huntington Ingalls Industries-Newport News Shipbuilding in Newport News, Virginia. Enterprise is scheduled to begin active construction around 2018 and be delivered by 2025. However, in an effort to save costs, the Congressional Research Service indicates that the Department of the Navy is reviewing the possibility of extending the length of time used to build both  (CVN-79) and Enterprise by two years. If approved, the ship would not enter service until 2027 and prevent any instance of 12 carriers being in service at any one time.[7] The steel from CVN-65 will be recycled and used to construct CVN-80.[8] The ship is currently scheduled to replace USS Dwight D. Eisenhower. The first cut of steel ceremony, marking the beginning of fabrication of the ship's components, was held on 21 August 2017,[9] with ship's sponsors Katie Ledecky and Simone Biles present.[10] Construction began in advance of the purchase contract and construction award, in early 2018.[11] In the spring of 2018, a piece of steel from CVN-65 was melted down and remade into a keel plate for CVN-80.[1]

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References

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  1. 1.0 1.1 "Newport News Shipbuilding says inactivation of former USS Enterprise is complete". WTKR.com. 10 April 2018. Retrieved 19 September 2018.
  2. "Navy To Name Next Ford Class Carrier Enterprise". 26 July 2012. Archived from the original on 3 December 2012. Retrieved 1 December 2012.
  3. 3.0 3.1 "News Release - Navy's Next Ford-Class Aircraft Carrier to be Named Enterprise". U.S. Navy. 1 December 2012. Retrieved 1 December 2012.
  4. "HII gets additional $228m for Enterprise (CVN-80) long lead time materials". navaltoday.com. 28 December 2018. Retrieved 26 March 2019.[permanent dead link]
  5. USS Enterprise Public Affairs (1 December 2012). "Enterprise, Navy's First Nuclear-Powered Aircraft Carrier, Inactivated" (Press release). Navy News Service. NNS121201-03. Archived from the original on 17 November 2015. Retrieved 10 December 2015.
  6. "Olympians Katie Ledecky, Simone Biles chosen Enterprise sponsors" (Press release). 13 News Now. 16 December 2016. Archived from the original on 18 August 2017. Retrieved 17 August 2017.
  7. Ronald O'Rourke (26 July 2012). "Navy Ford (CVN-78) Class Aircraft Carrier Program: Background and Issues for Congress" (PDF). Congressional Research Service. Retrieved 1 December 2012.
  8. Corillo, Todd (3 February 2017). "World's first nuclear powered aircraft carrier officially decommissioned". WKTR. Retrieved 3 February 2017.
  9. "First cut of steel kicks off construction of the aircraft carrier Enterprise at Newport News Shipbuilding" (Press release). WTKR. 21 August 2017.
  10. "Huntington Ingalls Industries Celebrates Ceremonial Steel-Cut for Aircraft Carrier Enterprise (CVN 80) at Newport News Shipbuilding" (Press release). Huntington Ingalls Industries. 24 August 2017. Retrieved 24 August 2017.
  11. "HII shipbuilding division inactivates Navy's USS Enterprise; Chris Miner comments". Archived from the original on 2023-10-21. Retrieved 2020-08-16.

Other websites

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Preceded by
CVN-65
USS Enterprise
2025-
Succeeded by
(Current)