Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) has secured a $336m contract for long lead time materials ahead of building the next Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carrier, the future USS William J. Clinton.
As announced by the Department of War (DoW), the funding will cover advance procurement for CVN 82, with work to be conducted in Newport News, Virginia, and expected to run through March 2039.
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This contract follows the Navy’s fiscal year 2027 budget request, which outlined ongoing funding for Enterprise (CVN 80) and Doris Miller (CVN 81), and advanced procurement activities for CVN 82.
The procurement for CVN 82 is funded through the Navy’s Shipbuilding and Conversion account for 2026, with all funds allocated at the point of award. The Navy stated these funds will remain available beyond the current fiscal year.
Named after the 42nd president of the US, the future USS William J. Clinton is set to become the fifth vessel in the Ford-class series. Project timelines anticipate a keel laying in 2027 and vessel launch in 2032.
The Gerald R. Ford-class nuclear-powered aircraft carriers feature a length of 333m, a beam of 40.8m, and a flight deck spanning 78m.
With a displacement of over 100,000 tonnes, they are larger than the Nimitz-class predecessors but are designed to operate with a reduced crew between 500 and 900 fewer personnel.
Operationally, these carriers can accommodate up to 90 aircraft, including F-35 Joint Strike Fighters, F/A-18E/F Super Hornets, E-2D Advanced Hawkeye airborne early warning aircraft, EA-18G Growlers for electronic warfare, MH-60R/S helicopters, and various unmanned systems.
First ship of the Gerald R. Ford class, USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78), was delivered to the US Navy in May 2017 and commissioned two months later in July.
Last month, USS John F. Kennedy (CVN 79), the second ship of the class, left Newport News Shipbuilding (NNS) to commence its acceptance sea trials.
