WORLD’S FIRST NUCLEAR AIRCRAFT CARRIER DECOMMISSIONED IN US

The first US and world’s Enterprise (CVN 65) nuclear aircraft carrier has been decommissioned in Newport News, Virginia.

Following a decommissioning ceremony, two shipyard workers ride their bicycles by the the USS Enterprise aircraft carrier at Newport News Shipbuilding in Newport News, Va., on Friday, Feb. 3, 2017 (Photo: Kristen Zeis / The Virginian-Pilot via AP)

On February 3, a ceremony of an official decommission of the Enterprise (CVN 65) nuclear aircraft carrier was held in Newport News, Virginia, the BMPD blog reported. The vessel, which is considered to be the world’s first nuclear aircraft carrier, had nearly 55-year career.

USS Enterprise was built by the Newport News Shipbuilding Co. The vessel was floated out on September 24, 1960, and put into service in the US Navy on November 25, 1961. During its service, the aircraft carrier overcame more than 1 million nautical miles. The ship was removed from operational status on December 1, 2012.

On May 4, 2015, the Enterprise with removed weapons and electronic equipment arrived to the place of its building in the Newport News shipyard for unloading of its nuclear fuel (was completed in December 2016), deactivation of its power plant and partial dismantling of the equipment. Upon completion of these works, the vessel will be towed to Bremerton, Washington, on the Pacific coast, where its nuclear reactors will be removed in the Puget Sound Naval shipyard. After this, the nuclear reactors will be sent to the Hanford Site for burial. Then cutting of the aircraft carrier, which should be completed by 2025, will be begun in Bremerton. It is assumed that the island structure of the Enterprise will be saved in one of the American cities as a memorial.

The historical name of the ship will be inherited by a new nuclear aircraft carrier, the CVN 80 Enterprise – the third ship of the Gerald R. Ford type. Construction of the new Enterprise (the ninth ship in the US Navy with this name) will be started in the Newport News shipyard, the new vessel is planned to be ready in 2025. It is expected that some part of metal of the CVN 65’s hull will be symbolically used in the construction of the new Enterprise.

Capt. Todd A. Beltz, commanding officer, USS Enterprise (CVN 65), and Command Master Chief Dwayne Huff pose with the commissioning pennant during the Enterprise decommissioning ceremony (US Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Tyler Preston / Released)

Comments

Why States Still Use Barrel Bombs

Smoke ascends after a Syrian military helicopter allegedly dropped a barrel bomb over the city of Daraya on Jan. 31.(FADI DIRANI/AFP/Getty Images) Summary Barrel bombs are not especially effective weapons. They are often poorly constructed; they fail to detonate more often than other devices constructed for a similar purpose; and their lack of precision means they can have a disproportionate effect on civilian populations. However, combatants continue to use barrel bombs in conflicts, including in recent and ongoing conflicts in Africa and the Middle East, and they are ideally suited to the requirements of resource-poor states. Analysis Barrel bombs are improvised devices that contain explosive filling and shrapnel packed into a container, often in a cylindrical shape such as a barrel. The devices continue to be dropped on towns all over Syria . Indeed, there have been several documented cases of their use in Iraq over the past months, and residents of the city of Mosul, which was re

Russia Looks East for New Oil Markets

Click to Enlarge In the final years of the Soviet Union, Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev began orienting his foreign policy toward Asia in response to a rising Japan. Putin has also piloted a much-touted pivot to Asia, coinciding with renewed U.S. interest in the area. A good expression of intent was Russia's hosting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in 2012 in Vladivostok, near Russia's borders with China and North Korea. Although its efforts in Asia have been limited by more direct interests in Russia's periphery and in Europe, Moscow recently has been able to look more to the east. Part of this renewed interest involves finding new export markets for Russian hydrocarbons. Russia's economy relies on energy exports, particularly crude oil and natural gas exported via pipeline to the West. However, Western Europe is diversifying its energy sources as new supplies come online out of a desire to reduce its dependence on Russian energy supplies . This has

LONDON POLICE INDIRECTLY ENCOURAGE CRIMINALS TO ATTACK RUSSIAN DIPLOMATIC PROPERTY

ILLUSTRATIVE IMAGE A few days ago an unknown perpetrator trespassed on the territory of the Russian Trade Delegation in London, causing damage to the property and the vehicles belonging to the trade delegation , Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said during the September 12 press briefing. The diplomat revealed the response by the London police was discouraging. Police told that the case does not have any prospects and is likely to be closed. This was made despite the fact that the British law enforcement was provided with video surveillance tapes and detailed information shedding light on the incident. By this byehavior, British law inforcements indirectly encourage criminals to continue attacks on Russian diplomatic property in the UK. Zakharova’s statement on “Trespassing on the Russian Trade Mission premises in London” ( source ): During our briefings, we have repeatedly discussed compliance with the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, specif

ISDEI Instituto de Seguridad, Defensa y Estudios Internacionales

Search This Blog