The US has announced that Vermont company NorthStar Maritime Dismantlement Services will dismantle and dispose of the decommissioned USS Enterprise (CVN 65) nuclear-powered aircraft carrier.The Department of Defense awarded NorthStar a $537-million contract to take the ship apart, with the process expected to be completed by November 2029.Under the contract, all materials retrieved from CVN 65 will be recycled or disposed of. Hazardous materials, including low-level radioactive waste, will be packaged and carefully transported for disposal at authorized sites.NorthStar will perform the dismantling in Mobile, Alabama.CVN 65’s disposal marks the first time a US nuclear-powered ship will be dismantled through a commercial effort.Decades of ServiceCommissioned in 1961, the Enterprise is the world’s first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, fitted with eight Westinghouse A2W nuclear reactors and four geared steam turbines and shafts for sustained power of 210 megawatts.It served as Washington’s premier carrier during the Cold War, Vietnam War, and post-9/11 conflicts, including Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom.After its final routine deployment to the Persian Gulf, it was deactivated in 2012 and officially decommissioned five years later after more than 55 years of service.It is one of nine ships named Enterprise in the history of the US Navy. Its successor, CVN 80, is currently under construction and scheduled to enter service by 2029.The post US Taps Vermont Company to Dismantle Nuclear-Powered USS Enterprise appeared first on The Defense Post.