To be parted out. After over 50 years in service the nuclear aircraft carrier USS Enterprise is to be decommissioned and sold for scrap.
She'll start her final mission with a quick jaunt from US Naval Station Norfolk, in Virginia to a nearby shipyard to have her fuel rods removed. From there she'll be towed down around the southern tip of South America and head northward to her final destination in Puget Sound, Washington. Once there her reactors will be removed and full cannibalization will commence. She's expected to yield 90K tons of scrap.
There were several attempts to save her and make her a floating museum but the process of removing the 8 nuclear reactors will cause significant damage to the flight deck and hull. The cost to replace this damage is prohibitive, according to the navy.
The USS Enterprise, know as Big E by her crew, is the second oldest ship in the Navy and the oldest combat vessel in service. Gray Lady, you will be missed.
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