The USS Nimitz Will Be The First U.S. Aircraft Carrier To Be Recycled

The USS Nimitz. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Aiyana S. Paschal/ Released 

Business Insider: The US Navy is planning to 'recycle' one of its first supercarriers. Here's what's next for USS Nimitz. 

 * The USS Nimitz joined the Navy in May 1973. It was the second nuclear-powered carrier ever built.

 * But over the next five years, Nimitz will be retired, stripped down, and have its reactor removed. 

 * The Navy is beginning to "recycle" the venerable aircraft carrier after a half-century in service. 

On December 9, the Navy released its 30-year shipbuilding plan. With the ambitious goal of building a 546-ship fleet by 2051, the plan calls for 404 new vessels to be built as 304 are retired. 

Fourteen of those 304 vessels are nuclear-powered and will be recycled as part of the Navy's Ship-Submarine Recycling Program, a unique effort dedicated to the safe disposal of decommissioned nuclear-powered vessels. 

The group includes 13 nuclear submarines: 11 Los Angeles-class attack subs and two Ohio-class cruise-missile subs. The final vessel is the venerable USS Nimitz, the lead ship of the Nimitz-class nuclear-powered supercarriers. 

Nimitz and the 13 submarines are expected to go through the recycling process over the next five years. It will be an end to a nearly 50-year career for the Nimitz. 

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WNU Editor: The USS Nimitz will be missed.

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