Decommissioning a Nuclear Powered Aircraft Carrier

The construction of the USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) commenced in the year 2009, designed in 2013 , commissioning got delayed till 2017 and became the lead ship in the Ford class fleet of aircraft carriers in 2021. Upgradation of technology with accompanying delays escalated the production process to almost US $13 billion. The 100,000-ton USS Ford is the first of 10 Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carriers which will eventually phase out the existing 10 nuclear powered  nuclear reactors aboard Nimitz-class aircraft carriers. The USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) with an impressive armada of 80 aircrafts will be deployed this year following satisfactory completion of a series of certification exercises and high-pressure stress tests. The term CVN remains shrouded in US Navy history. At times it is called a hull classification.

Credit Commander, US .2nd Fleet

Combating Chinese Maritime Threat

The largest naval fleet in the world is that of the People’s Republic of China. The PLA fleet comprises of 355 warships.The US Navy has 11 aircraft carriers in operation and ten nuclear-powered aircraft carriers are of the Nimitz class. The US Navy considers the Gerald R. Ford-class as the preemptive and decisive striking power in the event of a maritime conflict involving China.

Constructing a Ford Class aircraft carrier

Credit The Economic Times

The Gerald R. Ford-class carrier contains two newly designed AIB nuclear reactors capable of generating 2.5 times the amount of electrical power compared to the Nimitz class nuclear reactors. It can sail for 25 years without requiring refueling. It is equipped with innovative and advanced arresting gear and an electromagnetic aircraft launch system (EMALS) which generates more sorties. The EMALS replaces the steam catapult system traditionally used to launch aircraft with greater aircraft launch diversity for both manned and unmanned aircraft.Its powerful elevators can lift up to 24,000 pounds and move missiles and bombs faster to the flight deck. It is configured to accommodate directed energy weapons such as high energy lasers and power microwaves.

Shipyard delays

Constructing an aircraft carrier exacts a toll on generations of experience, requires hundreds of thousands of man hours and years of arduous planning .A huge exercise in construction took place at  Newport News Shipyard introducing an improved fabrication and assembly process and every square centimeter of the aircraft carrier saved the Navy a projected $4 billion in ownership costs spread over the vessels expected 50 year lifespan.

Delays occurred as catapults frequently broke down. The Ford’s innovative Dual Band Radar (DBR) system reliability was called into question whereas it was designed to operate simultaneously over two frequency ranges as there were no rotating antennas . The USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) utilizes electric utilities thereby eliminating the requirement of steam service lines cutting down on maintenance hassles and corrosion treatment.

Environmental Approval for  Nuclear Waste Disposal

Decommissioning of a nuclear powered aircraft carrier calls for concerted planning.Deactivation of the USS Nimitz, the United State navies oldest active aircraft carrier, involves presolicitation for inactivation and announcing of defueling notices. It is expected that the USS Nimitz (two A4W nuclear reactors) will be simpler to recycle compared to her predecessor the U.S.S. Dwight D. Enterprise (eight nuclear reactors in four compartments ) which remains parked at Newport News Shipbuilding whose nuclear defueling was completed for disposing of the reactor plant in authorized waste disposal sites.Environmental approval had to be obtained for the disposal of nuclear reactor plants. Interestingly the two nuclear fission pressurised water reactors of Nimitz were constructed by Westinghouse Electric Company.The Nimitz’s decommissioning is scheduled for 2026 and Eisenhower in the year 2027 to be followed by aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson manufactured five years later.

By Nadir Mumtaz