The nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN-68) of the United States Navy is the focus of a new contract awarded to Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII), in view of its upcoming retirement from service. The contract provides for the modernization of facilities intended to support the carrier’s deactivation and final decommissioning process. The contract modification, valued at US$11,048,000, was awarded to the company’s Newport News Shipbuilding division to carry out upgrades at Pier Three North in Newport News, Virginia, under the supervision of the Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA).
According to official information released by the Department of War, the contracts will be primarily aimed at supporting the removal of reactor fuel that powered the aircraft carrier for more than 50 years, followed by the inactivation of what was the lead ship of the Nimitz class. The work will be carried out entirely at the Newport News facilities and is expected to be completed by September 2027, funded through Navy operation and maintenance funds corresponding to fiscal year 2026.
At this point, it is important to note that this contract adds to a series of investments initiated in 2024, when the Navy began the formal process of preparing the industrial infrastructure required to handle the decommissioning of the USS Nimitz, the oldest operational aircraft carrier in service with the United States. In this regard, recent reports indicate that the ship is already back on U.S. territory. Specifically, CVN-68 arrived just days ago in Bremerton, Washington, after completing its final deployment in the Pacific, marking the end of a career spanning nearly five decades of continuous service in the world’s main theaters of operation.
From a technical standpoint, the decommissioning of a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier represents a highly complex process. The removal of nuclear fuel from the reactor, followed by the inactivation of the vessel, requires specialized facilities, strict safety protocols, and highly trained personnel.
The replacement of Nimitz and HII’s key role in the next generation of aircraft carriers
Beyond the retirement of the USS Nimitz, the contract awarded to HII forms part of a broader strategy of generational transition within the U.S. Navy. Infrastructure investments will not only support deactivation processes, but will also enable the construction, maintenance, and testing of Gerald R. Ford–class aircraft carriers, which are intended to progressively replace the older Nimitz-class units.
At present, Newport News Shipbuilding is simultaneously working on the construction of two nuclear-powered aircraft carriers of the new Ford class, placing heavy demands on the shipyard’s industrial capacity. On one hand is the aircraft carrier USS Doris Miller (CVN-81), and on the other the future USS Enterprise (CVN-80).
In parallel, preparations are reportedly advancing for the start of sea trials of the USS John F. Kennedy (CVN-79), the second ship of this new class, which represents the core of future U.S. naval aviation power. Meanwhile, the class leader, USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78), has already been in service for several years, as demonstrated by its most recent presence in the Caribbean in support of Operation Southern Spear, operating under the area of responsibility of U.S. Southern Command (USSOUTHCOM).
This situation facing the U.S. aircraft carrier fleet—combining the retirement of platforms with decades of operational service alongside the induction of new ones—highlights the complexity of the current moment for the United States Navy, which must maintain a flexible and modernized infrastructure to avoid industrial bottlenecks and ensure the operational continuity of its combat vessels throughout the transition process.
Photographs used for illustrative purposes.
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