Decommissioned Aircraft Carrier News

Brazil sank a decommissioned aircraft carrier in the Atlantic Ocean off its northeast coast, the Brazilian Navy said, despite warnings from environmentalists that the rusting 1960s French-built ship would pollute the sea and the marine food chain.The 32,000-tonne carrier had been floating offshore for three months since Turkey refused it entry to be scrapped there because it was an environmental hazard and the ship was towed back to Brazil.The carrier was scuttled in a "planned and controlled sinking" late on Friday…

The decommissioned aircraft carrier, USS Independence has just passed by Costa Rica on its final mission, from Bremerton and onward to Brownsville, Texas. This is the first leg of a long 16,000 mile journey that will take the 60,000-ton super carrier around the tip of South America, transiting the Strait of Magellan and eventually into EMR Group’s International Shipbreaking Ltd. yard in Brownsville, Texas. USS Independence left on her final journey on Saturday, March 11th from the Kitsap Naval Base in Bremerton, Washington to Brownsville, Texas and is expected to take just under three months.

Two people, including a sailor, were killed and two others injured after inhaling toxic fumes on board India's aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya at Karwar Naval base in Karnataka. The condition of two others injured was stable and constantly being monitored in the Naval Hospital, Karwar, said officials. "The incident of gas leakage took place yesterday evening while the ship was undergoing maintenance repairs in the sewage treatment plant compartment," said a statement issued by Indian navy. Inducted into the Indian Navy two years back, the 45,000 tonne naval ship witnessed the first accident at 5.00 pm on Friday whilst the ship was undergoing maintenance repairs at the naval base. The Navy has ordered an inquiry into the incident.

One sailor was killed and three others were injured after a fire broke out onboard India's soon to be decommissioned aircraft carrier INS Viraat in Goa. While the incident was quickly brought under control, four sailors who were present at the scene and combating the fire sustained injury from the smoke. Chief Engineering Mechanic Ashu Singh having suffered smoke inhalation was reportedly shifted to the naval hospital in Goa where he died. Also, reports said that three others had sustained injuries in the fire after inhaling smoke. Prima facie, some insulating material in the boiler room appears to have caught fire from heat due to steam leak. Investigations are on.

The U.S. Navy awarded a contract, Dec. 22, for the towing and dismantling of the decommissioned aircraft carrier Ranger (CV 61) to International Shipbreaking, Ltd. Under the contract, the company will be paid $0.01, a price that reflects the net price proposed by International Shipbreaking, Inc., which considered the estimated proceeds from the sale of the scrap metal to be generated from dismantling. This is not a sales contract, it is a procurement contract; $0.01 is the lowest price the Navy could possibly have paid the contractor for towing and dismantling the ship.

The Navy competitively awarded a contract to International Shipbreaking Limited of Brownsville, Texas, for the towing, dismantling and recycling of conventionally powered aircraft carriers stricken from service, June 13. Under the contract, the company will be paid $3 million for the dismantling and recycling of the decommissioned aircraft carrier Constellation (CV 64). The price reflects the net price proposed by International Shipbreaking, which considered the estimated proceeds from the sale of the scrap metal to be generated from dismantling. The Navy continues to own the ship during the dismantling process. The contractor takes ownership of the scrap metal as it is produced and sells the scrap to offset its costs of operations.

The decommissioned aircraft carrier John F. Kennedy (CV 67) is scheduled to arrive March 22 at the Navy's Inactive Ships Maintenance Facility in for preservation and storage. Due to safety and security concerns, the ship will not be open for tours while in storage in . A contracted tug boat began towing the inactive carrier John F. Kennedy from Norfolk Naval Station on March 17. The ship was originally scheduled to be towed to in August 2007, but was instead towed to while the Navy dredged in the vicinity of Pier 4 to further increase the safety of the ship mooring process and the surrounding waterway. The public may view the carrier's journey up the Delaware River from many locations along the river in , , and . These include Gov.

The decommissioned aircraft carrier ex-John F. Kennedy (CV 67) departed Norfolk Naval Station, , March 17 and is currently in tow to the Navy’s Inactive Ship Maintenance Facility in . The ship is scheduled to arrive at the Navy’s facility on March 20 for preservation and safe storage until a decision is made by the Secretary of the Navy on the carrier’s final disposition. A contracted tugboat will tow the carrier up the East Coast to via the . The Navy is working closely with the Coast Guard and maritime authorities to ensure that the carrier is towed in a safe manner that protects both the ship and other maritime traffic. The public may view the carrier’s journey up the Delaware River from many locations along the river in , , and . These include Gov.

Turkey said on Tuesday it would bar the passage of a large, decommissioned aircraft carrier through Istanbul's busy Bosphorus straits after China said it wanted to convert into a floating pleasure center. "Passage of such a massive vessel would pose a serious threat for the city, for people, for the strait itself," said the head of the Istanbul Maritime office. "We are on alert against any other possible attempt by the vessel to pass the Bosphorus," he continued. He said the 1,003 ft. (306.5 m) Varyag, purchased from Ukraine, had been denied passage out into the Mediterranean several times since July and had been escorted out of Turkish waters into the Black Sea where it is currently floating.

Turkish shipping experts will meet soon to discuss how to safely sail a giant aircraft carrier without engines through the Bosphorus that bisects the country's biggest city, Anatolian news agency said. It said the panel had already met once and denied passage through the straits to the 300-m (1,000-ft.) Varyag, a decommissioned aircraft carrier, citing security concerns for the city of Istanbul. The Varyag has been idling in the Black Sea since July. Passage through the Bosphorus, the narrow, busy and winding waterway that links the Black Sea to the Mediterranean and the world's oceans, is not normally restricted for commercial ships in peacetime under the 1936 Montreux treaty.

Turkish shipping experts will reportedly meet soon to discuss how to safely sail a giant aircraft carrier without engines through the Bosphorus that bisects the country's biggest city. It was reported that the panel had already met once and denied passage through the straits to the 1,000-ft. Varyag, a decommissioned aircraft carrier, citing security concerns for the city of Istanbul. The Varyag has been idling in the Black Sea since July. Passage through the Bosphorus, the narrow, busy and winding waterway that links the Black Sea to the Mediterranean and the world's oceans, is not normally restricted for commercial ships in peacetime under the 1936 Montreux treaty.

The decommissioned aircraft carrier, ex-America (CV 66) departed the Navy’s Inactive Fleet Facility April 19 for its final and vital mission as a live-fire test and evaluation, and weapons effect platform for the next generation aircraft carrier. The events will consist of a variety of comprehensive tests above and below the waterline. “These tests will allow invaluable data to be collected to be used by naval architects and engineers to improve the design and survivability of the nation’s future aircraft carrier fleet," said Rear Adm. Dennis M. Dwyer, program executive officer for carriers. The third Navy ship to carry the name, USS America, CV 66 sailed the world’s oceans for more than 30 years as a symbol of freedom and democracy. From the day America was commissioned Jan.

The ex-Oriskany, a decommissioned aircraft carrier, was sunk 24 miles off the coast of Pensacola, Fla., on May 17 to form an artificial reef. The 888-foot ship took about 37 minutes to sink below the surface. After 25 years of service to the Navy in operations in Korea, Vietnam and the Mediterranean, ex-Oriskany will now benefit marine life, sport fishing and recreation diving off the coast of the Florida panhandle. U.S. Navy photo by Photographer's Mate 2nd Class Jeffrey P. The ex-Oriskany, a decommissioned aircraft carrier, became the largest ship intentionally sunk as an artificial reef May 17 when it was sunk approximately 24 miles off the coast of Pensacola, Fla.

Decommissioned aircraft carrier USS Oriskany (CVA 34) sits in port at Naval Air Station (NAS) Pensacola, while undergoing necessary maintenance. The 32,000-ton, 888-ft. Oriskany was delivered to Pensacola, where it prepared for its final journey. A pierside press conference was held April 18 aboard Naval Air Station Pensacola to provide details of the final preparations for sinking the decommissioned aircraft carrier ex-Oriskany (CVA 34). With the rusting hulk of Oriskany as a backdrop, Capt. Lawrence Jones, Inactive Ships program manager in charge of the Oriskany project and Resolve Marine’s Vice President Denise Johnston answered questions about the sinking. Resolve-Esco Joint Venture is the contractor for the final work necessary to prep the ship for its ultimate disposition as a reef.

The groups Ban Asbestos and the National Association for the Defense of Asbestos Victims, or ANDEVA, held meetings with the office of France's defense minister. The groups hope to stop the transfer of the decommissioned aircraft carrier Clemenceau to India, where it is to be scrapped. The dispute centers on the amount of asbestos that is still present on the ship, even after some insulation has already been removed. Many fear that workers in Asian countries are not sufficiently protected from dangerous substances such as asbestos while they dismantle the ships. Source: NSNet

The decommissioned aircraft carrier ex-Oriskany (CV/CVA 34) will become the largest ship intentionally sunk as an artificial reef in mid-May. The 888-foot ship will be reefed in the Gulf of Mexico approximately 24 miles off the coast of Pensacola, Fla., and will benefit marine life, sport fishing and recreational diving in the area. In November 2004, President George Bush signed the 2004 National Defense Authorization Act, allowing the Navy to transfer inactive vessels to states, U.S. possessions, municipal corporations and municipalities for artificial reefing purposes. "The sinking of the ex-Oriskany will provide an additional offshore location for the regional recreational fishery and diving industries…