Oct. 22, 2009 (United Press International) -- A U.S. Navy spokesman said an additional $7 million will be spent repairing the USS Enterprise in Virginia, bringing the total repair cost to $605 million.

Navy spokesman Alan Baribeau said the newest funds will be used for work on the aircraft carrier's systems and machinery at Northrop Grumman's (NYSE:NOC) shipyard in Newport News, Va., the Newport News (Va.) Daily Press said Thursday.

The current $605 million price tag for preparing the carrier for two additional deployments is far beyond the $453.3 million cost initially expected by Navy officials.

Increasing repairs of the military vessel have also delayed the scheduled delivery date of the completed carrier from September to next January.

The repairs have resulted in the Navy approving additional funds for the carrier project on six different occasions, including a $28 million injection of funds in August.

Baribeau told the Daily Press the additional work on the 49-year-old vessel "was expected, to some extent, given the age of the USS Enterprise and the fact that she's the only ship in her class."