Carrier John F. Kennedy Delivery Delayed 2 Years, Fleet Will Drop to 10 Carriers
USS John F. Kennedy Delivery Delayed by Two Years
The delivery of the USS John F. Kennedy (CVN-79), the next Ford-class aircraft carrier, has been postponed by two years, leaving the U.S. Navy with only ten operational carriers for nearly a year. Originally scheduled for delivery this month, the new timeline indicates that the carrier will now be ready in March 2027, according to the Navy’s Fiscal Year 2026 budget documents. The delay is attributed to the need for further testing and certification of advanced systems critical to the carrier’s operations.
Reasons Behind the Delay
The USS John F. Kennedy’s delivery has been pushed back from July 2025 to March 2027 to allow for the completion of Advanced Arresting Gear (AAG) certification and ongoing work on Advanced Weapons Elevators (AWE). These systems are essential for safely landing aircraft and moving munitions within the ship. A Navy spokesperson confirmed that efforts are underway to explore preliminary acceptance of the vessel before its formal delivery, aiming for a swift transition to operational status.
HII’s Newport News Shipbuilding, responsible for constructing the carrier, acknowledged the challenges faced during the building process. Todd Corillo, a spokesperson for the company, noted that many lessons learned from constructing the lead ship, USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78), could not be applied to the Kennedy in a timely manner. However, subsequent ships in the class, such as the USS Enterprise (CVN-80) and USS Doris Miller (CVN-81), have benefited from these insights earlier in their construction phases.
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The Kennedy has already experienced multiple delays during its construction. In 2023, the Navy extended its delivery date from June 2024 to 2025 to allow for additional work that typically occurs after delivery. The lead ship, USS Gerald R. Ford, also faced significant delays due to difficulties in installing its 11 weapons elevators and integrating the AAG system, which has been plagued by developmental setbacks.
Impact on Navy Operations
The delay in the Kennedy’s delivery will temporarily reduce the Navy’s fleet from 11 to 10 carriers, as the USS Nimitz (CVN-68), the oldest aircraft carrier in service, is scheduled to retire in May 2026. This reduction in operational capacity will last until the Kennedy is delivered. The Navy had initially planned a dual-phase delivery approach for the Kennedy, which was later abandoned in favor of a single-phase delivery to accommodate necessary modifications for the fifth-generation F-35C Joint Strike Fighter and the new Enterprise Air Surveillance Radar.
As of April, Navy officials had expressed optimism that the Kennedy would still deliver in 2026. However, the latest budget documents indicate that the USS Enterprise is also facing delays, now projected to deliver in July 2030 instead of September 2029. The Navy continues to work closely with shipbuilders to address supply chain issues and improve delivery timelines for both carriers.