U.S. Navy: ~$12.8B for design and steel of the Ford-class carrier CVN 80 (the next Enterprise) — a contract with Huntington Ingalls (USAspending)
The U.S. Navy awarded a contract for engineering efforts and steel for the Ford-class nuclear aircraft carrier CVN 80 (to be named the next "Enterprise") to carrier builder Huntington Ingalls. The value is about $12.8 billion ($12,779,497,659) — a large award for building a nuclear carrier, among the world's largest and most complex warships.
Contract key facts
- RecipientHuntington Ingalls
- Contract value$12,797,608,564 (≈$12.8B)
- BranchNavy
- Awarding agencyDepartment of Defense
- Awarding sub-agencyDepartment of the Navy
- Award typeDEFINITIVE CONTRACT
- Period of performance2016-05-23 〜 2036-06-02
- Contract ID (PIID)N0002416C2116
The amount cited in the write-up ($12,779,497,659) is the figure at the time of writing. After later modifications the record now shows $12,797,608,564 (the details above are current).
Contract scope (original)
CVN 80 ENGINEERING EFFORTS AND STEEL
Key points
- U.S. Navy ordered engineering efforts and steel for the Ford-class nuclear carrier CVN 80
- Awarded to Huntington Ingalls (Newport News / a major carrier builder)
- Value ~$12.8B ($12,779,497,659), definitive contract, May 2016–Jun 2036 (multi-year cumulative)
- CVN 80 is the third Ford-class ship, named the next "Enterprise"
- A large award for building a nuclear carrier — among the largest, most complex warships
- This contract covers engineering and the securing of steel — upstream stages, with years still to run before completion.
1The Ford-class carrier CVN 80
This contract funds engineering efforts and steel — the upstream work — for the Ford-class (Gerald R. Ford-class) nuclear carrier CVN 80, built at the Newport News shipyard.
2The name Enterprise
CVN 80 is the third Ford-class ship and is known for carrying on the U.S. Navy's historic name "Enterprise." The Ford class is the newest nuclear carrier, succeeding the Nimitz class, with new technologies such as the electromagnetic catapult (EMALS). Nuclear carriers are among the world's largest and most complex warships and require many years from upstream work — design and steel procurement — to completion.
3The carrier as a vast platform
This contract represents construction of a giant platform, the aircraft carrier, within naval shipbuilding. Alongside submarines, it confirms that naval ship-related spending is among the top DoD contracts.
4The upstream stages make a contract of their own
A nuclear carrier is among the largest and most complex warships in the world, and the span from engineering and steel through to completion runs long. What this contract covers is that upstream portion.
- 1EngineeringWorking the drawings out. This contract covers this stage and the steel that follows
- 2Securing the steelThe heavy plate forming the hull is locked in first, taking years to arrive
- 3ConstructionThe steel secured is assembled, and the plant and equipment installed
- 4Toward completionAs one of the largest warships built, the span from upstream to finished ship is long
CVN 80 is the third ship of the Ford class and is known as the one carrying the historic name Enterprise. The Ford class succeeds the Nimitz class and carries new technology including electromagnetic catapults. Construction falls to Huntington Ingalls, which holds the Newport News shipyard.
Why it matters
A read on the scale of building a giant platform — a nuclear carrier. Useful for shipbuilding and defense supply chains and for readers tracking U.S. naval power and security trends; that the amount is a multi-year cumulative figure is also a cue for reading defense spending.
FAQ
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Sources (primary)
This article is an independent organization based on the U.S. official spending data below. Verify the exact, latest details with the official source.
- USAspending (award details)
- Contract ID (PIID)：N0002416C2116