The historic USS John F. Kennedy (CV 67) aircraft carrier arrived at the Port of Brownsville, Texas, on 2 February 2025, after a 2021 mile trip from Philadelphia Naval Yard.
The prestigious naval ship was named in tribute of the 35th President of the United States, John F. Kennedy, and has had tens of thousands of veterans who served our country aboard her during its 39 years of service.
ISL has been awarded the Navy contract to recycle the 60,728-ton vessel, which is the last conventionally powered carrier built for the Navy, and the only ship of its class. She was commissioned in 1968 and decommissioned in 2007. She is a variant of the Kitty Hawk-class carriers, and was deployed during the 1970s, in response to the Yom Kippur War in the Middle East.
Having arrived safely in Brownsville, the carrier will go through an extensive dismantling and recycling process, which is expected to take approximately two years to complete. Using innovative, safe and sustainable recycling processes, International Shipbreaking aims to recycle 97% of materials. Once available, mementos from parts of the ship will be added to eBay so that those who served and other members of the public can own a part of history.
Chris Green, President of International Shipbreaking LLC said: “We are very proud to welcome the prestigious USS John F. Kennedy (CV 67) aircraft carrier to Brownsville, on what will be her last voyage. It's an honor to be given this extraordinary ship to dismantle and recycle, and our highly trained team will do so in a safe and respectful manner, appreciating the people who served our country onboard her.
“We have a long history of handling military vessels at our world class environmental facility in Texas, with the USS John F. Kennedy (CV 67) being our fifth US Navy carrier, and I’m delighted that International Shipbreaking is playing such an important part in her historical journey.”
International Shipbreaking LLC is a subsidiary of EMR. EMR is the world’s leading sustainable marine recycling company, has more than 60 years’ experience, has won a number of military contracts over the years, and has been recycling ships and marine structures since the end of World War II.
