How 4,000 Workers Overhauled a Nuclear Aircraft Carrier Without a Dry Dock

More than 4,000 workers overhauled the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69) without a dry dock, completing most of the work pierside while the ship remained afloat. After a nine-month combat deployment to the Red Sea, Eisenhower entered Norfolk Naval Shipyard in January 2025 for a 15-month maintenance and modernization period. This video explains how workers used custom cofferdams to inspect underwater propeller shafts, repaired catapult troughs, inspected turbine components, and protected the carrier’s aging hull from corrosion. This video also explains how Norfolk Naval Shipyard coordinated thousands of sailors, civilian workers, and contractors to return Eisenhower to sea while completing the project under its planned resource budget. 📌 Chapters: 00:00 Introduction 03:43 A Carrier Worked on Without a Dry Dock 08:15 Inspections That Could Not Wait 11:33 Welding, Coating, and the Cost of Doing It Safely 14:36 Delivered Early, Back at Sea #AircraftCarrier #USNavy #USSEisenhower