Click here - to select or create a menu

Naval News

DSEI Japan 2023
  • News
  • Event News
    • SNA 2023
    • Euronaval 2022
    • Indo Pacific 2022
    • Sea Air Space 2022
    • DIMDEX 2022
  • Interviews
  • Videos
  • Advertising
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
Home» News»HII Lays Keel of Future USS Enterprise (CVN 80) Aircraft Carrier
MQ-9 STOL
HII Lays Keel of Future USS Enterprise (CVN 80) Aircraft Carrier
HHI picture.

HII Lays Keel of Future USS Enterprise (CVN 80) Aircraft Carrier

HII, America’s only builder of nuclear-powered aircraft carriers and leading provider of mission-driven defense technologies, celebrated the ceremonial keel-laying of aircraft carrier Enterprise (CVN 80) at its Newport News Shipbuilding division Aug. 27 2022.

Naval News Staff 28 Aug 2022

HII press release

U.S. Olympic gold medalists Simone Biles and Katie Ledecky are the ship’s sponsors. Ledecky attended in person, while Biles participated via video, as the pair marked the important first milestone in construction of the aircraft carrier.

During the ceremony, Biles and Ledecky’s initials were welded onto a steel plate that will be permanently affixed to the ship, signifying the sponsors’ enduring relationship with the shipbuilders and crew.

In his remarks, Under Secretary of the Navy Erik Raven stressed the significance of aircraft carriers, calling upon shipbuilders to recognize the importance of what they build.

“Our aircraft carriers would not be possible without the designers and builders right here at Newport News Shipbuilding. Every team member here at Newport News can be certain that each cut of steel, every wrench turned, and every challenge encountered to build her were steps toward strengthening our naval and national greatness — especially when this ship sails the open seas to protect our nation’s interests.”


Under Secretary of the Navy Erik Raven

NNS President Jennifer Boykin spoke highly of the skilled shipbuilders constructing Enterprise, highlighting their commitment to the Navy and our nation as the only shipyard capable of building nuclear-powered aircraft carriers.

“These hardworking women and men take 100,000 tons of steel and technology and make it not only float, but serve as home, workplace, and shield for our Navy’s sailors,” Boykin told the crowd. “Shipbuilding takes discipline, precision, and an unrelenting drive for excellence, which we can never let falter because our sailors and their families depend on us.”

Boykin also recognized all the veterans in attendance from previous U.S. Navy ships that have been named Enterprise, including CV 6 and CVN 65, both built at NNS. CVN 80 will be the ninth U.S. Navy vessel to carry on the name Enterprise. The most recent, CVN 65, was the first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier in history. Already, 20,000 pounds of steel from CVN 65 have been incorporated into modules for CVN 80. When fully constructed, more than 35,000 pounds of steel from CVN 65 will live on in CVN 80, ensuring the Enterprise legacy continues.

CVN 80 is the third Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carrier. Designed to replace Nimitz-class carriers, the Ford class features a new nuclear power plant, a redesigned island, electromagnetic catapults, improved weapons movement, an enhanced flight deck to support increased operational efficiency, and growth margin for future technologies.

As America recognizes the 100-year legacy of aircraft carriers this year, all aircraft carriers operating in the U.S. Navy fleet today were built at NNS. Enterprise is the first aircraft carrier not only designed digitally, but also being built digitally using visual work instructions on laptops and tablets rather than paper drawings. Construction processes on Ford-class carriers, including Enterprise, are enabled by workforce learning that took place on USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) and John F. Kennedy (CVN 79). Enterprise is the first of a two-carrier block buy for the Navy, with work also underway at NNS on the second, Doris Miller (CVN 81).

Aircraft Carrier Huntington Ingalls Industries USS Enterprise 2022-08-28
Tags Aircraft Carrier Huntington Ingalls Industries USS Enterprise
Facebook Twitter Stumble linkedin Pinterest More

Related Articles

Brazil Sinks ex-Sao Paulo Aircraft Carrier in the Atlantic

Brazil Sinks ex-Sao Paulo Aircraft Carrier in the Atlantic

Tayfun Ozberk 04 Feb 2023
Here is the background story on the sinking of a vessel that once was the flagship of the French and Brazilian navies...
Russia’s Admiral Kuznetsov aircraft carrier to leave drydock soon

Russia’s Admiral Kuznetsov aircraft carrier to leave drydock soon

Naval News Staff 20 Dec 2022
The dock repairs on the Russian aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov are complete and the vessel will leave dry dock soon.
Video: Aboard USS Gerald R Ford (CVN 78) – Part 2

Video: Aboard USS Gerald R Ford (CVN 78) – Part 2

Xavier Vavasseur 08 Dec 2022
Aboard USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78), the U.S. Navy's newest and most advanced aircraft carrier. In this video, we interview the Commanding Officer, CAPT Lanzilotta.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Legal / Privacy Policy
About Us
Contact Us

Copyright © 2022 Naval News
All Rights Reserved
We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.Ok