Summary

  • The Philadelphia Naval Shipyard is one of the largest mothball fleets in the US, but its ships are being sold off or scrapped, making it smaller over time.
  • Mothball fleets are used to keep ships in reserve so they can be reactivated quickly if needed, but most of the ships end up remaining inactive or being taken apart.
  • The USS John F. Kennedy, a conventionally powered supercarrier, was decommissioned and kept in reserve for a potential museum, but it is now set to be scrapped along with the USS Kitty Hawk.

As US Navy ships get too old or too expensive to operate, they are withdrawn from active service - but they may still be useful in a future war. Many of these are kept in reserve fleets around the country called "Mothball Fleets." Some ships that go into these mothball fleets are brought back to action later, while others are sold off to other countries. Most just end up getting scrapped.

One of the largest reserve or mothball fleets is the one at Philadelphia (and you can tour it today). It is a shadow of what it once was and looks poised to get even smaller as its ships are sold off or scrapped.

UPDATE: 2023/09/20 10:59 EST BY NOAH STAATS

What Else People Should Know When Visiting The Mothball Fleet In Philly

This article has new information on visiting the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard, as well as the history behind it. What once served the US Navy for two centuries now lies as one of the most iconic mothball sites in the country. Have fun!

What Are The United States Mothball Fleets?

Navy Pier Chicago, IL
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Navy Pier Chicago, IL

When a ship is kept in reserve or "mothballed," the basic idea is to keep the ships afloat and in a sufficient state so that they can be reactivated quickly in an emergency. The Korean War is an example of when many of the World War Two-era ships were successfully reactivated, resulting in considerable savings in both time and money.

  • Usual Fate: To Become Too Old And Obsolete to Be Useful

In a few cases, the public intercedes for the ships in reserve to not be scrapped so that they can be used as museums, memorials, or artificial reefs. These can go on to be some of the US's most interesting and historic naval museums. At one time, there were vast numbers of ships stored in these reserve fleets, but now there is only a shadow of what there once was.

The current fleet of mothball ships sits around 600 dispersed through the country, with most being located in Bremerton, Washington; Mare Island and San Diego, California; Norfolk, Virginia; Orange, Texas; and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Of course, Philadelphia has one of the larger collections of these abandoned/retired ships, so it's certainly a city worth checking out if someone's into Naval history. Interestingly, most of the mothball ships within the National Defense Reserve Fleet are capable of being used as shipping vessels with 20–120 days of notice. This would only happen if there was a national emergency or shortage: so it's not common or expected. Instead, once a ship gets "mothballed," it usually remains that way until it's eventually taken apart.

Today there are three Naval Inactive Ship Maintenance Facilities in the country these are:

  • Puget Sound Naval Shipyard: Located In Bremerton, Washington
  • Joint Base Pearl Harbor: Located In Pearl Harbor, Hawaii
  • Philadelphia Naval Shipyard: Located In Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Related: HMS Victory: Visit The UK's Most Historic Naval Ship

Visiting The Philadelphia Naval Shipyard

USS Olympia Museum Ship in Philadelphia
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USS Olympia Museum Ship in Philadelphia
  • Address: 4701 Intrepid Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19112
  • Hours: Open daily from 6 AM to 8 PM

Of these mothball fleets, the largest is the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard. It holds several dozen inactive warships, including Ticonderoga class cruisers, Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigates, Forrest Sherman class destroyers, gunboats, and numerous supply ships. Most of these ships are stricken and are to be disposed of. The Philadelphia Naval Shipyard was the first in the US and went on to be a pivotal site for over two centuries. That has given it quite the reputation, as well as a number of mothballed vessels one can tour. Coming here is pretty simple, as the yard is only a few minutes away from the iconic Fort Mifflin.

One exception is the Oliver Harazd Perry-class frigates that are stricken by may be sold off to third countries. Some of the supply ships are inactive and in reserve. Today one can walk around the shore and see the ships mothballed. Hurry if one wants to see the USS John F. Kennedy if she is still there. There are also tours of the Navy Yard in Philadelphia. One can choose from guided tours and sell walking tours. It really is worth it to see these once mighty weapons of war rusting away and awaiting their fates.

This site is also 1,200+ acres, giving guests plenty of scenery to experience. Because of its vastness, the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard often takes people two or so hours to fully appreciate. After all, this is a slice of history.

The Philadelphia Naval Shipyard was the first to be constructed in the United States, back in the early 1800s. It was used for two centuries by the US forces and has now become a popular spot to see "mothball" ships.

Related: USS Constitution: Visit America's Most Historic Navy Ship

USS John F. Kennedy - The Supercarrier Museum That Never Was

USS John F. Kennedy at the Philadelphia navy yard
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USS John F. Kennedy at the Philadelphia navy yard

Notably in the mothball fleet is the USS John F. Kennedy (CV-67) Kitty Hawk class supercarrier. She is the last of the conventionally powered carriers built for the US Navy. She was officially decommissioned in 2007 and was then berthed in Philadelphia and kept in reserve.

  • Decommissioned: 2007
  • Service: 40 Years of Service

She was held as available for donation as a museum or a memorial. While the United States has a number of aircraft carrier museums around the country (like the Intrepid Sea, Air, and Space Museum in New York City), it doesn't have any supercarriers as museums.

There was hope that she would be made into a museum, and there could be naval tours on this supercarrier (and maybe her supercarrier USS Kitty Hawk in Washington too). These were the only supercarriers that could feasibly be made into museums as they are conventionally powered (the decommissioned USS Enterprise and successive carriers are nuclear-powered and are much more difficult to make into museums).

  • Supercarrier Museums: Unlikely To Happen Now For A Very Long Time

What that means for travelers and naval enthusiasts is that there is unlikely to be a supercarrier museum to tour for a very long time.

In 2017 the Navy revoked her "donation hold" status, and in 2021, it was reported she (together with the USS Kitty Hawk) was sold for a penny and is to be scrapped.

  • Fate: To Be Scrapped
  • Scrapper: International Shipbreaking Limited in Brownsville, Texas
  • Sold: For One Penny

The latest news that has been reported (January 2022) of the USS Kitty Hawk is that she is being towed from Seattle to Texas around South America for scrapping (she is too big to fit through the Panama Canal).

As of the time of writing (February 2022), it is unclear if the USS John F. Kennedy is still berthed in Philadelphia or not - but there don't seem to be any reports that she has been moved yet.

There's A Military Aircraft Moth Ball (Or "Boneyard") Too

Davis-Monthan_Air_Force_Base
Airman 1st Class Kaitlyn J. Ergish, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Entrance to the Davis-Monthan Air Force Base
  • Address: S Wilmot Rd, Tucson, AZ 85708
  • Hours: Dependent on day/duty

The largest and most famous mothball aircraft fleet in the world is undoubtedly the "Boneyard" of Davis-Monthan Air Force Base. Until recently, the Air Force did offer some limited tours of this eye-catching site, but these days it seems to be closed to the public.

Still, there is a superb museum at the Davis-Monthan Air Force Base to explore, and there are incredible satellite images freely available on Google Maps for all to see. People can explore the satellite imagery and identify the many types of aircraft sitting out in the desert - including B-52 Bombers, F-16 Fighting Falcons, A-10 Thunderbolts, and just about every other kind of US military aircraft.

Some of these aircraft are only kept for spare parts, while others are kept in a more or less operational condition so that the country can return them to active service if there is a need or an emergency. Some may be sold off or donated to other friendly countries around the world. There is nothing in the world remotely as impressive as the Davis-Monthan Air Force Base. It is arguably more impressive than any mothballed navy fleet in the world.

Alternatively, if one would like to see a permanently "mothballed" fleet, consider diving the sunken Japanese fleet at Chuuk (Truk) Lagoon and see how the sea is reclaiming these vessels. An even more impressive fleet is the nuclear fleet of surplus American naval ships that the Americans nuked after World War Two at Bikini Atoll.