The USS Nimitz’s Future: Museum or Scrap?

Over the past three decades, the idea of preserving retired supercarriers as museum ships has been a recurring one, yet it has faced numerous challenges. Currently, only five aircraft carriers have been turned into museums:

Existing Aircraft Carrier Museums

USS Yorktown, CV-10, located in Patriots Point, Charleston, South Carolina USS Intrepid, CV-11, based in Manhattan, New York City, New York USS Hornet, CV-12, situated in Alameda, California USS Lexington, CV-16, located in Corpus Christi, Texas USS Midway, CV-41, situated in San Diego, California

The USS Nimitz, a Nimitz-class aircraft carrier, has also been considered for preservation. However, securing its future as a museum ship is met with several challenges.

Challenges in Preserving the USS Nimitz

Several attempts to preserve and convert decommissioned supercarriers into museum ships have faced failure. Factors such as lack of funding and the inability to convince possible host cities have been significant obstacles. Additionally, there is no government funding for such museum ships, and the government's role is limited to granting permission.

Even if someone were to invest billions of dollars, there would be no assurance of a new aircraft carrier museum in the future, as the logistics and costs involved in maintaining such a ship are immense.

Other Options for Aircraft Carrier Museums

Currently, one notable example is the museum in Savannah, Georgia, where visitors can explore a aircraft carrier, a destroyer, and a submarine. Other notable museums can be found in:

USS Midway, CV-41, situated in the USS Midway Museum in San Diego, California USS Intrepid in New York City, New York USS Hornet in Alameda, California USS Lexington in Corpus Christi, Texas

The USS Enterprise, the most decorated US Navy ship during World War II, was a historic loss when it was scrapped. Speculation that the USS Nimitz might face a similar fate due to residual radioactive contamination from nuclear power is further clouds the prospects of the Nimitz becoming a museum.

Historical Significance and Safety Concerns

While the Enterprise was a pioneer as the first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, it holds significant historical importance. If the Nimitz were to be turned into a museum ship, extensive decontamination and safety measures would be necessary, similar to the USS Nautilus, the first nuclear-powered submarine.

The USS Nautilus took five years to be decontaminated and made safe for public viewing. The Nimitz, with two larger and more powerful reactors, would require a significant amount of time and resources to achieve the same level of safety. Even then, certain areas of the Nimitz, like the engineering spaces on the Nautilus, may remain off-limits to the general public due to residual radiation and hazardous conditions.

The support provided by Admiral Hymen Rickover, the creator of the Navy Nuclear Power Program, and the diligent efforts of active-duty US Navy sailors who serve as tour guides on the Nautilus, are essential to maintaining the museum's integrity and public safety. These lessons highlight the immense costs and challenges involved in turning a nuclear aircraft carrier into a museum ship.

Conclusion

While the idea of preserving the USS Nimitz as a museum ship is appealing, the historical significance and safety concerns make it highly unlikely. The cost and effort required to properly maintain and decontaminate a nuclear aircraft carrier such as the Nimitz are astronomical, and the public safety risks cannot be fully mitigated. These factors, among others, ensure that the USS Nimitz will likely be scrapped rather than preserved for future generations.