US Navy Naval Flight Officer explains why despite their robustness (and cost) aircraft carriers can’t be kept in service longer than their programmed life

Naval Flight Officer explains why despite their robustness (and cost) aircraft carriers can’t be kept in service longer than their programmed life

By Dario Leone
Mar 17 2023
Share this article

‘Some components simply can’t be replaced, while others it would be cost-prohibitive and inefficient,’ Andy Burns, Naval Flight Officer.

American aircraft carriers at their peak are the queens of the high seas, outclassing even America’s nearest peer competitors. They’re the anchors of US seapower, and have a commensurate price tag, costing billions of dollars to build and thousands of sailors to man.

But even the proudest US Navy ships reach the end of their service life and must be decommissioned.

US Navy Naval Flight Officer explains why despite their robustness (and cost) aircraft carriers can’t be kept in service longer than their programmed life
The aircraft carrier USS Enterprise (CVN-65) makes its final voyage to Newport News Shipbuilding. US Navy Photo Courtesy of Huntington Ingalls Industries

The question is: would it be possible to keep these vessels in service longer than their programmed life?

‘I served aboard two carriers on their last deployments, Enterprise being one of them, and those boats were worn out and past ready to be put to pasture,’ Andy Burns, former US Navy Surface Warfare & Naval Flight Officer, says on Quora. ‘Enterprise was not “up to date” by the time she was decommed. And their robustness and cost are the reason they’re kept around as long as they are. Sailing thousands of miles of saltwater while flinging planes off the roof is a hard life. Fifty years – programmed life of a CVN – is a long time to be in such service.

US Navy Naval Flight Officer explains why despite their robustness (and cost) aircraft carriers can’t be kept in service longer than their programmed life
Decommissioned nuclear carrier Enterprise (CVN-65) sits pier side at Newport News Shipbuilding following its decommissioning in February 2017.

‘Some components simply can’t be replaced, while others it would be cost-prohibitive and inefficient. The electrical system, for example; the power requirements changed between the start of Big E’s construction in 1958 and her final cruise in a 2012, on a scale never imagined by her original builders. It doesn’t matter how much power you’re generating if the electrical distribution system can’t handle the increased load.

E-2 print
This print is available in multiple sizes from AircraftProfilePrints.com – CLICK HERE TO GET YOURS. E-2C Hawkeye 2000 VAW-112 Golden Hawks, NG600 / 165820 / 2015.

‘As a ship ages it becomes increasingly difficult to locate spare parts, as manufacturers go out of business or simply stop supporting their very old, defunct product lines. Enterprise had an elevator, for example, for the aircrew to make their way from the ready rooms below the hangar deck up to the flight deck. Sounds extravagant, but you try routinely climbing six floors’ worth of very steep stairs lugging 40 lbs of flight gear. Which is what the crews wound up doing anyway, because the elevator was always broken. The manufacturer had gone out of business decades before and it was impossible to find spare parts.

‘Incidentally, all subsequent US carrier designs put the squadron ready rooms on the O3 level directly beneath the flight deck for that reason.’

Burns concludes;

‘Simply put, nothing lasts forever, even nuclear-powered aircraft carriers.’

F/A-18F model
This model is available from AirModels – CLICK HERE TO GET YOURS.

Photo credit:


Share this article

Dario Leone

Dario Leone

Dario Leone is an aviation, defense and military writer. He is the Founder and Editor of “The Aviation Geek Club” one of the world’s most read military aviation blogs. His writing has appeared in The National Interest and other news media. He has reported from Europe and flown Super Puma and Cougar helicopters with the Swiss Air Force.

Leave a comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Share this article


Share this article
Share this article

Always up to date! News and offers delivered directly to you!

Get the best aviation news, stories and features from The Aviation Geek Club in our newsletter, delivered straight to your inbox.

Error: Contact form not found.


Share this article
Back to top
My Agile Privacy
This website uses technical and profiling cookies. Clicking on "Accept" authorises all profiling cookies. Clicking on "Refuse" or the X will refuse all profiling cookies. By clicking on "Customise" you can select which profiling cookies to activate. We and our selected ad partners can store and/or access information on your device, such as cookies, unique identifiers, browsing data. You can always choose the specific purposes related to profiling by accessing the advertising preferences panel, and you can always withdraw your consent at any time by clicking on "Manage consent" at the bottom of the page.

List of some possible advertising permissions:

You can consult: our list of advertising partners, the Cookie Policy and the Privacy Policy.
Warning: some page functionalities could not work due to your privacy choices