Final retirement planning phase begins for America’s oldest active aircraft carrier

America’s oldest active aircraft carrier, USS Nimitz (CVN 68), has entered the retirement planning phase after the US Navy awarded Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) a $33.5 million contract modification to begin advance planning and long-lead material procurement for the carrier’s inactivation and defueling.

Credit: US Navy

As disclosed, the work on the shio will be performed in Newport News, Virginia, and is expected to be completed by March 2026.

USS Nimitz is a nuclear-powered...