The US Navy’s newest aircraft carrier, USS John F. Kennedy (CVN 79), has departed HII’s Newport News Shipbuilding division to begin acceptance sea trials, marking another major milestone in the construction and delivery of the second Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carrier.
HII announced the milestone on August 13, saying the aircraft carrier would undergo a series of tests at sea to evaluate important ship systems and components under operating conditions.
The acceptance sea trials will provide the navy and shipbuilder with an opportunity to assess the carrier’s performance and verify the functionality of key systems before the ship proceeds toward delivery and commissioning.
USS John F. Kennedy is the second ship of the Gerald R. Ford class of nuclear-powered aircraft carriers and is being built by HII’s Newport News Shipbuilding division in Virginia.
HII said the latest milestone reflects the work of its shipbuilders, suppliers, the ship’s crew and US Navy personnel involved in the program.
Following completion of acceptance trials and remaining activities required for delivery, CVN 79 will continue through the process toward joining the US Navy’s aircraft carrier fleet.
The latest sea trials follow the completion of builder’s sea trials in February, when Kennedy first put to sea to test and demonstrate its systems and ship operations. After completing those trials, the carrier returned to Newport News Shipbuilding for further work.
Gerald R. Ford-class incorporates several modifications compared with earlier US Navy aircraft carriers, including changes to the flight deck, improved weapons handling systems and a redesigned island. These features are intended to support higher aircraft sortie generation rates.
The Ford class also introduces new nuclear propulsion plants and increased electrical power-generation capacity, providing additional power for future technologies. Greater automation is intended to reduce sailor workload, support a smaller crew and lower long-term operating costs.
Construction of CVN 79 has also benefited from experience gained during the construction of the lead ship, USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78), with lessons learned from the first carrier being incorporated into subsequent ships of the class.