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United States · Retired

USS Enterprise (CVN-65)

Nuclear-powered aircraft carrier

The world’s first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, “Big E” served for more than half a century across the Cold War and multiple generations of naval aviation.

Introduced1961
Speed30+ knots
RangeEffectively unlimited by propulsion
CrewMore than 4,500 with air wing
Platform profile

Technical overview

Manufacturer
Newport News Shipbuilding
Primary role
Nuclear-powered aircraft carrier
Dimensions
342 m length · approx. 94,000 tonnes
Operators
United States Navy (former)
Variants
CVN-65 · unique single-ship class
Operational status
Retired
Complete platform dossier

USS Enterprise (CVN-65) details

Identity

Full name
USS Enterprise (CVN-65)
Navy
United States Navy
Nickname
Big E
Type
Nuclear-powered aircraft carrier
Hull number
CVN-65
Commissioned
25 November 1961
Decommissioned
3 February 2017
Operational service
More than 50 years
Status
Retired

Historical roles

  • Carrier air-power projection
  • Fleet air defence
  • Maritime strike
  • Cold War forward presence
  • Combat operations

Ship and class

CVN-65
Unique single-ship Enterprise class
Historical distinction
World’s first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier

Performance

Length
Approximately 342 m
Full-load displacement
Approximately 94,000 tonnes
Maximum speed
30+ knots
Propulsion range
Effectively unlimited

Nuclear propulsion

  • 8 × A2W nuclear reactors
  • Eight-reactor layout unique among U.S. nuclear carriers
  • Later Nimitz and Ford classes use two reactors

Service and design

  • One of the longest naval vessels ever constructed
  • Served through multiple generations of naval aviation
  • Total complement could exceed 4,500 personnel

Flight operations

  • Catapult-assisted launch operations
  • Angled flight deck and arresting gear
  • Systems modernized repeatedly during more than five decades of service

Combat history

Cold War operations
Cuban Missile Crisis and Vietnam War
Later operations
Operations connected with Iraq, Afghanistan and the Iraq War

Embarked aircraft

Historic fighters
F-4 Phantom II, F-14 Tomcat, F/A-18 Hornet and Super Hornet
Attack aircraft
A-6 Intruder and A-7 Corsair II
Support aircraft
E-2 Hawkeye and EA-6B Prowler

Strengths

  • World’s first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier
  • More than half a century of service
  • Supported multiple generations of naval aircraft
  • Extensive Cold War and post-Cold War operational history

Limitations

  • Eight-reactor plant was complex and manpower intensive
  • Aging hull and systems drove eventual retirement
  • Decommissioning and nuclear disposal are exceptionally complex

Operators and customers

United States Navy — former operator

Interesting facts

  1. Known as “Big E.”
  2. Was the world’s first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier.
  3. Its eight-reactor power plant was never repeated on later U.S. carrier classes.
  4. It served for more than 50 years.