USS Enterprise (CVN-80)

History of Enterprise Number (CVN-80)

USS Enterprise (CVN-80) is the third "supercarrier" in the U.S. Navy's new Gerald Ford class of nuclear-powered aircraft carriers. The ship was named in December 2012 and follows about eight other U.S. Navy ships under the corporate name.

Huntington Ingalls Industries-Newport News Shipbuilding in Newport, Virginia, will begin construction around 2018. Commissioning is planned for sometime in 2025 or later. After raising the flag, USS Enterprise (CVN-80) will join the main ship USS Gerald Ford (CVN-78) and sister ship USS John F. Kennedy (CVN-79).

As of March 2014, both are still under construction.

When the Enterprise (CVN-80) entered service, it was planned to replace the aging Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69), which was launched in 1975 and commissioned in 1977.

As planned, the USS Enterprise has a displacement of 100,000 tons, a length of 1,100 feet, a beam of 134 feet, and a draft of 39 feet. Propulsion will come from two A1B series nuclear reactors (with a new design for improved performance and efficiency), giving her essentially unlimited range and speeds in excess of 30 knots under ideal conditions. The specified lifetime of a nuclear reactor is between twenty and twenty-five years.

The ship has a total crew of 4,660 people, including a large air squadron. The ship's construction will also include radar-reducing capabilities.

The general outline of the USS Enterprise follows the well-established tradition of the US Navy, with a starboard island layout and a stern to port landing area. Catapults are installed on the forecastle and port side.

The island-style superstructure will be positioned slightly aft amidships to provide a clearer, unobstructed forward flight deck - a new challenge for incoming Navy pilots.

The wing itself will support more than 75 different types of aircraft, including fixed-wing and rotary-wing systems. This will allow the USS Enterprise to retain the ability of many U.S. carriers to conduct air defense, strike, rescue and law enforcement operations anywhere in the world for many years. Supplies at sea can be delivered by ship or by helicopter and fixed-wing aircraft. The flight deck is 1,092 feet x 256 feet long and features multiple elevators that provide access to the hangar deck below. The Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS) will replace the old steam catapult.

Safety gear has also been completely redesigned. There will also be improved support for launching unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), a notable emerging trend in naval warfare.

Point self-defense is carried out using a digital fire control system that manages anti-aircraft missile launchers RIM-162 ESSM and RIM-116 RAM. Close range defense will be provided by the 2 x 20mm Phalanx Close-In Weapon System (CIWS).

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