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    Historic U.S. Navy Carriers Sold for Scrap at the Price of Peanuts

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    USS Kitty Hawk (CV-63)” by Tjflex2 is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

    The United States Navy, facing financial and environmental burdens, has opted to sell the venerable aircraft carriers USS Kitty Hawk (CV-63) and USS John F. Kennedy (CV-67) for the nominal sum of one cent each.

    USS KITTY HAWK(CV 63)” by aeroman3 is licensed under CC CC0 1.0

    This decision underscores the complex issues surrounding the decommissioning of military vessels and highlights the challenges in preserving such immense and historically significant ships.

    USS Kitty Hawk (CV-63)” by Tjflex2 is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

    The Kitty Hawk, with her storied history dating back to the Vietnam War, and the John F. Kennedy, a key player during Operation Desert Storm, were both sold to International Shipbreaking Limited in Texas in 2022 for a single penny apiece.

    May 10: 1978: REALITY: HMAS MELBOURNE [II] with the 83,000 ton USS KITTY HAWK at Pearl Harbour – RAN.” by Kookaburra2011 is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

    The cost of decommissioning and dismantling aircraft carriers, particularly those as iconic as these two, involves much more than the mere transfer of ownership.

    USS Kitty Hawk (CV-63)” by Tjflex2 is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

    Scrapping such massive vessels is a complicated and costly affair, due to their construction with hazardous materials and the logistics involved in breaking them down.

    Various ‘Intruders’, ‘Tomcats’, ‘Corsair IIs’, ‘Sea Kings’, ‘Hawkeyes’, ‘Prowlers’ & a ‘Crusader’ aircraft of Carrier Air Wing Fifeteen (CVW-15) parked in formation aboard the USS Kitty Hawk (CV-63).” by aeroman3 is licensed under CC CC0 1.0

    While many naval enthusiasts and veterans’ associations have expressed a desire to see these carriers preserved as museums, the financial realities are stark.

    USS KITTY HAWK (CV 63)” by aeroman3 is licensed under CC CC0 1.0

    Museums barely generate enough revenue to cover maintenance costs, let alone fund the conversion of a decommissioned warship into a public exhibit.

    The final piece is put into the future aircraft carrier USS John F. Kennedy (CVN 79).” by Official U.S. Navy Imagery is licensed under CC BY 2.0

    The Navy requires that retired ships be maintained to a certain standard, which involves significant costs for upkeep.

    F-14 on USS John F. Kennedy” by tabounds is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0

    The fate of the USS Enterprise (CVN-65), the world’s first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, further illustrates the complexities of decommissioning.

    USS John F Kennedy, Fort Lauderdale, 1985” by StevenM_61 is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

    With her eight nuclear reactors requiring dismantling, the cost estimates for breaking down the Enterprise range between $554 million and $1.358 billion, a sum that is well beyond the reach of most preservation efforts.

    USS John F. Kennedy” by PMillera4 is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

    Reflecting on the challenge of disposing such carriers, a Naval Sea Systems Command spokesman, Alan Baribeau, stated, “The contract values reflect that the contracted company will benefit from the subsequent sale of scrap steel, iron, and non-ferrous metal ores.”

    USS John F. Kennedy (CV 67)” by Tobyotter is licensed under CC BY 2.0

    In the realm of military surplus, aircraft carriers are unique in their scale and the difficulties they present post-service.

    USS John F. Kennedy (CV-67)” by aeroman3 is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

    Unlike smaller collectibles that can fetch significant sums on the private market, these giants of the sea represent a more sobering reality of military history – that even the most formidable vessels eventually meet an unceremonious end, too costly and complex to be given a second life as monuments to the past.

    USS John F. Kennedy Deck” by tabounds is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0

    This choice of disposal has sparked some debate about the significance of these vessels and the balance between fiscal responsibility and historical preservation.

    Mothballed ships – USS John F. Kennedy and Saipan” by R’lyeh Imaging is licensed under CC BY 2.0

    As the Navy continues to modernize its fleet, replacing old carriers with more advanced ones, such as the Gerald R. Ford-class, it is clear that the break-up of retired carriers will remain a challenging and expensive process, a testament to the transitory nature of even the most awe-inspiring tools of war.

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