Huntington Ingalls Industries ceremoniously laid the keel of the Enterprise (CVN-80) nuclear multirole aircraft carrier.

The event took place at the Newport News Virginia facility of Newport News Shipbuilding.

Enterprise would be the third Gerald R. Ford class carrier and is expected to be transferred to the U.S. Navy in 2028.

The keel of the Gerald R. Ford-class leadership was laid down on November 14, 2009. Aircraft carriers of this series will replace the Nimitz-class carriers that are currently in service.

The CVN-78 aircraft carrier was transferred to the US Navy on May 31, 2017. The ship reached initial combat readiness in December 2021.

The CVN-79 aircraft carrier, launched on December 16, 2019, is scheduled for delivery to the US Navy in 2022.

In May 2016, Huntington Ingalls Industries was awarded the first contract to develop a plan for the construction of the CVN-80 Enterprise aircraft carrier. Steel cutting for the construction of the CVN-80 began on August 24, 2017.

The U.S. Navy Command awarded Huntington Ingalls Industries a core contract worth $15.2 billion on January 31, 2019 for the construction of two Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carriers, Enterprise (CVN-80) and CVN-81.

Steel cutting for the construction of the Doris Miller CVN-81 began in August 2021.

Delivery of these ships is scheduled for 2028 and 2032, respectively. The planned lifetime of the new aircraft carriers is 50 years.

The new aircraft carrier will have advanced technical capabilities, including a new combat control system, a redesigned superstructure, an enlarged runway, a new nuclear propulsion system, and an improved electric power system.

The ship will be equipped with an EMALS (Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System) electromagnetic launch system and an advanced aerial finisher. The use of the latest technologies will reduce the load and reduce the number of crew.