Mayport Carrier Decision Put Off Until 2010 QDR

The final decision as to whether the Navy will move an aircraft carrier from Norfolk Naval Station, Va., to Mayport Naval Station, Fla., will be determined during the 2010 Quadrennial Defense Review, the Pentagon announced. The final ruling will be based on factors such as future threats, future force structure, and cost effectiveness. In the meantime, plans are afoot to dredge the Mayport channel to accommodate a nuclear aircraft carrier. The move will provide an optional docking location in case Norfolk is closed because of an emergency or natural disaster. If a nuclear carrier does become homeported at Mayport, wharf facilities and infrastructure will need upgrades to accommodate nuclear propulsion maintenance facilities and comply with environmental requirements. Mayport had been the home port of the conventional carrier John F. Kennedy until its decommissioning in 2007.