After several years of construction and preparation at the Newport News shipyard, the second nuclear-powered aircraft carrier of the new Gerald R. Ford class took a key step toward its future delivery to the United States Navy (U.S. Navy). Yesterday, the future USS John F. Kennedy (CVN-79) sailed for the first time from Newport News Shipbuilding’s facilities in the state of Virginia to begin what would be its first sea and navigation trials— a long-awaited milestone within a program aimed at replacing the current Nimitz-class aircraft carriers.
Initially reported by various specialized sources, the milestone was later confirmed by Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) through its social media channels, stating that the future CVN-79 had departed the shipyard to begin the so-called “builder’s sea trials”, an initial phase intended to evaluate at sea for the first time the performance of the nuclear carrier’s main systems, equipment, and components.
A first key assessment
These sea trials will allow verification of critical systems such as the nuclear propulsion plant, electrical power generation systems, navigation, ship handling, and platform control, before moving on to more demanding later stages. This is a gradual process in which the aircraft carrier John F. Kennedy will undergo different sorties and technical evaluations prior to its formal delivery to the U.S. Navy for acceptance trials and the future integration of its embarked air wing.
For its part, HII emphasized that this first underway period marks the start of a new phase in CVN-79’s construction, in which the focus shifts from the controlled shipyard environment to real-world validation of capabilities under operational conditions.
A program shaped by adjustments
The start of USS John F. Kennedy’s sea trials comes after an extended period of final work, adjustments, and delays linked in part to lessons learned from the first ship of the class, USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78). The new class introduced deep changes compared to the Nimitz-class carriers, incorporating technologies such as the EMALS electromagnetic catapults, the AAG recovery system, a new island design, and an electrical architecture.
While these innovations seek to improve operational efficiency and reduce costs over the ship’s life cycle, their initial integration presented technical challenges in systems and technology that affected test schedules. In CVN-79’s case, many of these systems were installed with modifications and improvements derived from prior experience, which should facilitate its certification and acceptance process.
The role of John F. Kennedy within the U.S. Navy’s future fleet
Once the various testing and certification phases are completed, USS John F. Kennedy will become the second operational aircraft carrier of the Gerald R. Ford class, intended to form the backbone of the U.S. Navy for the coming decades. In addition, the new ship is expected to be prepared to operate fifth-generation F-35C Joint Strike Fighter Lightning II aircraft and the new Enterprise air surveillance radar.
With this first departure to sea, John F. Kennedy begins a path that, after further tests and evaluations, will lead it to fully integrate into the U.S. surface fleet. Barring any developments, the aircraft carrier is scheduled to be delivered to the U.S. Navy in March 2027, replacing the carrier Nimitz (CVN-68), which has begun its retirement process after more than fifty years of service.
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