Article Posted on : - May 26, 2016

Rendering of Enterprise (CVN 80). Photo: Huntington Ingalls Industries.

NEWPORT NEWS, VIRGINIA (BNS): Huntington Ingalls Industries has been awarded a $152 million contract for advance planning for the construction of the aircraft carrier Enterprise (CVN 80).

The third aircraft carrier in the Gerald R Ford class was named in honour of the US Navy's first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, USS Enterprise (CVN 65).

The work, which includes engineering, design, planning and procurement of long-lead-time material, will be performed at the company's Newport News Shipbuilding division through March 2018.

Construction on Enterprise is slated to begin in 2018 with delivery to the Navy in 2027. The new Enterprise will eventually replace the USS Dwight D Eisenhower (CVN 69) when the aircraft carrier enters the fleet.

Shipbuilders have captured thousands of lessons learned in the process of building Gerald R Ford, most of which are being implemented as cost-saving initiatives in building the second ship in the class, John F Kennedy (CVN 79).

These initiatives will continue on Enterprise, and HII will work with the Navy to identify additional cost-saving initiatives for future Ford-class carrier construction, the Company said.