After decades of service, the US Navy sold two aircraft carriers to a shipbreaking company for 1 penny each. “The ridiculous price is because the company will profit from selling the ship’s metal for scrap,” officials said. Naval Sea Systems Command, a sub-agency of the US Navy, said it had agreed to sell the USS Kitty Hawk and USS John F. Kennedy aircraft carriers to International Shipbreaking Limited (ISL). She is based in Brownsville, Texas, USA Today reported .

Towing and dismantling ships is an expensive process, and the U.S. Navy has already paid ISL large sums to recycle its ships, the Brownsville Herald daily reported . “The contract gives the company the right to benefit from the subsequent sale of scrap steel, iron and non-ferrous metal ores,” said Alan Baribeau, spokesperson for Naval Sea Systems Command, in a statement. press release cited by USA Today.

Both aircraft carriers were launched in the 1960s and were capable of carrying dozens of planes. The Kitty Hawk was deployed during the Vietnam War and the John F. Kennedy participated in the Gulf War.

The USS Kitty Hawk was decommissioned in 2009 and the USS John F. Kennedy in 2017. Both have spent their time since being serviced in shipyards. The warships are to be towed to Brownsville, Texas for scrapping in the coming months, an ISL spokesperson said.