Aircraft carrier John F Kennedy completes builder's sea trials

Aircraft carrier John F Kennedy , shown here under construction, completed builderʼs trials. (Janes/Michael Fabey)

HII's Newport News Shipbuilding (NNS) division has completed builder's sea trials of aircraft carrier John F Kennedy (CVN 79), the second Gerald R Ford-class nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, HII and US Navy (USN) officials confirmed on 4 February in separate releases.

Kennedy returned to NNS after testing important ship systems and components at sea for the first time, HII said.

Throughout sea trials, sailors from the pre-commissioning unit (PCU) assigned to Kennedy, NNS shipbuilders, and personnel from the navyʼs Supervisor of Shipbuilding (SUPSHIP), Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA), and programme executive office (PEO) CVN tested “many of the shipʼs key systems and technologies”, the USN said.

Kennedy conducted a five-day ‘Fast Cruise', a multiday pier side training evolution that “brings the ship to life” prior to getting under way during new construction or after an extended maintenance availability, the USN said. “This simulated underway period exercises the ship's ability to operate at sea and affords the crew the opportunity to transition to an operational mindset before getting underway,” it added.

With the conclusion of builder's trials, the Kennedy team will resume completion work while also addressing any issues identified during trials, the USN said, adding the next major milestone for the ship will be acceptance trials, the “timeline for which is currently under review”.

Captain Mark Johnson, programme manager for Ford-class New Construction, said in the USN statement, “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.”

Kennedy was procured in fiscal year (FY) 2013.