The USS John F. Kennedy (CVN 79), the US Navy’s latest Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carrier, left Newport News Shipbuilding (NNS) on 12 August 2026 to commence its acceptance sea trials.
These trials represent the final major evaluation phase before the vessel’s handover, currently projected for March 2027.
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According to NNS, a division of HII, the acceptance sea trials will involve comprehensive testing of the carrier’s systems and components during operations at sea.
In a post on LinkedIn NNS said: “This milestone is thanks to the dedication and commitment of our incredible shipbuilders, suppliers, ship’s force crew and US Navy teammates. We wish them a safe and successful time at sea!”
CVN 79 is the second ship of the Gerald R. Ford class, the first new US aircraft carrier class in over forty years.
Its departure on acceptance trials comes after the shipyard completed its builder’s trials in February 2026, a process that marked the vessel’s initial at-sea evaluation.
During the earlier phase, shipbuilders, Kennedy crew members, and Navy personnel collaborated to test and demonstrate key operating systems.
Construction of the USS John F. Kennedy began in February 2011, with the keel being laid in August 2015. The vessel was subsequently christened and launched in October 2019, before advancing through its programme of required testing phases.
Measuring 1,092ft in length and displacing approximately 100,000 tons, CVN 79 is the second in the Gerald R. Ford-class series.
The lineage began with the USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78), which was delivered to the US Navy in May 2017 and commissioned two months later in July.
Additional ships in the Ford class, currently under construction or planned, include the Enterprise (CVN 80), Doris Miller (CVN 81), William J. Clinton (CVN 82), and George W. Bush (CVN 83).
The Gerald R. Ford-class carriers, at 333 metres (m) long, with a beam of 40.8m and a flight deck width of 78m, are larger than their Nimitz-class predecessors.
Despite their increased size, the new design accommodates between 500 and 900 fewer crew members.
These carriers incorporate 23 new or upgraded systems compared to the Nimitz class, including advancements in propulsion, power generation, and aircraft launch capabilities.
Each ship is capable of supporting up to 90 aircraft, among them are the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, E-2D Advanced Hawkeye, EA-18G Growler, MH-60R/S helicopters, and various unmanned aerial vehicles.
For defence, the Gerald R. Ford-class can be equipped with the Raytheon-evolved Sea Sparrow missile system, providing protection against high-speed, highly manoeuvrable anti-ship threats.
