US Navy next generation aircraft carrier John F. Kennedy CVN 79 reaches new milestone.

The Newport News Shipbuilding unit of Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) has completed about 74% of Ford-class aircraft carrier John F. Kennedy (CVN 79), HII CEO Mike Petters confirmed on 6 August 2020. For the record, the ship was launched on October 29, 2019, and was christened on December 7, 2019.
Follow Navy Recognition on Google News at this link

Newport News Shipbuilding division successfully launched the aircraft carrier USS John F. Kennedy (CVN-79) into the James River on Monday, December 17, 2019, four weeks ahead of the original schedule. (Picture source: Huntington Ingalls Industries)

As the yard continues to build and install compartments and other systems on the ship, HII is still negotiating the single-phase delivery of the ship. The USN had initially contracted for a dual-phase Kennedy delivery – the first phase being the hull and associated systems, followed by the second delivery of combat systems and other equipment.

John F. Kennedy (CVN 79) is the second aircraft carrier in the Ford Class. It is also the second aircraft carrier built by Newport News Shipbuilding named for JFK. Like its forerunner CVN 78, Kennedy is a truly electric aircraft carrier, with many of the systems powered by steam on Nimitz-class carriers now powered by electricity.

Newport News Shipbuilding division successfully launched the aircraft carrier USS John F. Kennedy (CVN-79) into the James River on Monday, December 17, 2019, four weeks ahead of the original schedule. (Picture source: Huntington Ingalls Industries)

The ship is designed to save the Navy $4 billion in total ownership cost over the ship's 50-year lifespan, with fewer overall components, extended drydocking interval, improved ship-wide air conditioning, and more.

Two more carriers are planned including CVN-80 (Enterprise) which is scheduled for delivery to the US Navy in March 2028 and CVN-81 (Doris Miller) scheduled for delivery in February 2032.