The future USS John F. Kennedy (CVN 79) has successfully completed Builder’s Sea Trials at Newport News Shipbuilding in Virginia, marking a major milestone in the construction of the U.S. Navy’s second Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carrier, the U.S. Naval Sea Systems Command stated.
Program Executive Office Aircraft Carriers (PEO CVN) said the trials were completed on 4 February and represented the first time the ship had gone to sea.
According to the U.S. Navy, completion of Builder’s Sea Trials is a key step in the shipbuilding process and supports the wider Ford-class programme, which is intended to improve survivability, increase lethality and reduce total ownership costs over a projected 50-year service life.
Rear Adm. Casey Moton, Program Executive Officer for Aircraft Carriers, said the milestone reflected combined efforts across the U.S. maritime industrial base. “Seeing this Navy-industry team take CVN 79 to sea for the first time was nothing short of thrilling,” he said. “Thanks to the tireless efforts of thousands of proud American workers across the maritime industrial base, we are one step closer to delivering another Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carrier to the fleet.”
The Navy said the trials involved Sailors from the Pre-Commissioning Unit assigned to the carrier, alongside shipbuilders from Newport News Shipbuilding, as well as personnel from NAVSEA, SUPSHIP and PEO CVN. The team tested a range of key ship systems and technologies during the underway period. Prior to the sea trials, the ship also completed a five-day “Fast Cruise,” described as a pier-side training evolution designed to simulate underway operations and help crews transition to an operational mindset.
Capt. Doug Langenberg, commanding officer of the Pre-Commissioning Unit, said the first sea voyage marked a significant moment for the programme.
“There are millions of fingerprints contributing to this successful sea trial, both of the hard-working patriots who built this great ship and of the Sailors who are now bringing her to life,” he said. “John F. Kennedy going to sea for the first time is truly momentous. This event is a result of years of hard work and an incredible shared effort between our shipbuilding partners and this crew who have worked side-by-side to get to this day. I’m proud of this crew and this opportunity to finally take this ship to sea where she belongs.”
With Builder’s Trials complete, the Navy said the shipbuilding team will continue completion work while addressing any issues identified during the trials. The next major milestone will be Acceptance Trials, though the Navy said the timeline for that phase is currently under review.
Capt. Mark Johnson, programme manager for Gerald R. Ford-class new construction, said work is continuing to deliver the ship with its required capability. “We’re making steady progress towards completion of the ship with all required capability,” he said. “We continue to work closely with the shipbuilder to ensure that the nation’s next aircraft carrier is delivered to the Navy on the fastest possible path to combat readiness.”
Well if experience elsewhere comes into play one presumes that it will briefly enter service as the USS TrumpKennedy Carrier, the Captain will resign, no one will turn up to man it and to save face it will end up being mothballed for two years under the guise of golden upgrades and relaunched to hoped for great fanfare when everyone involved gets an offer they can’t refuse. Might even give them time to re-constitute VA-2B as part of its air wing no doubt with its reworked MAGA inspired horse head insignia.
Presumably USS Nimitz is for the chop, this year or next. We’ve seen that it takes several years to work up a carrier from scratch. Is it much faster if the airwing is being transferred?
The airwing isnt attached to any one carrier. And its a different kind of carrier.
“Worlds most powerful new carrier”
Deary me, these headlines !