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Enterprise officially inactivated, will remain at Newport News shipyard

Huntington Ingalls Industries announced Tuesday that the first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Enterprise has officially been inactivated at Newport News Shipbuilding.
Inactivation work on the Enterprise began in 2013, with more than 1,000 shipbuilders defueling the carrier's eight nuclear reactors. HII announced Tuesday the aircraft carrier was officially inactivated.

NEWPORT NEWS, Va., (WVEC) -- Newport News Shipbuilding has completed its inactivation of the first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Enterprise, Huntington Ingalls Industries announced Tuesday.

The ship will remain at the shipyard until a disposal plan is determined by the Navy.

Inactivation work on the Big E began in 2013, with more than 1,000 shipbuilders defueling the carrier's eight nuclear reactors, the company said.

"This is bittersweet moment for us," Chris Miner, Newport News’ vice president of in-service aircraft carrier programs, said.

"Enterprise has meant so much to Newport News Shipbuilding and the men and women who helped cement her place in history. With all of the lessons we learned from inactivating the first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier in our company’s 130-year history, we look forward to bringing that knowledge to the inactivation of the Nimitz class of aircraft carriers, beginning with CVN 68 in 2025."

The ship was built at the shipyard and christened September 1960. The only one of its class, the aircraft carrier aided in the Cuban Missile Crisis and operations Enduring Freedom and New Dawn.

Enterprise was decommissioned Feb. 3, 2017.

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