According to a PR published by Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) on June 23, 2023, the firm has been awarded contract modifications worth $393.3 million by the U.S. Navy. These modifications pertain to the delivery approach for the aircraft carrier John F. Kennedy (CVN 79), being built by HII's Newport News Shipbuilding (NNS) division.
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Future US Navy's Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carrier USS John F. Kennedy. (Picture source: HII)
The updated contract shifts post-completion work into the main construction contract, setting a new delivery date of July 31, 2025.
About the USS John F. Kennedy
The Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carrier is a large vessel, with a displacement of approximately 100,000 long tons, equivalent to 100,000 tonnes at full load. The ship measures 1,106 feet (337 meters) in length.
It has a beam of 134 feet (41 meters) at the waterline and expands to 256 feet (78 meters) at the flight deck, while its draft extends to 39 feet (12 meters).
The carrier's propulsion system features two A1B nuclear reactors, delivering power to its four shafts. This setup allows the ship to reach speeds in excess of 30 knots, equivalent to 56 km/h or 35 mph.
Interestingly, the carrier has an unlimited distance range and can stay operational for 20 to 25 years. It's designed to accommodate a crew complement of 4,660.
The carrier is equipped with state-of-the-art sensors and processing systems, which include the AN/SPY-3 Multi-Function Radar (MFR) X band active electronically scanned array and the AN/SPY-6 Volume Search Radar (VSR) S band active electronically scanned array.
In terms of armament, the ship is fitted with two RIM-162 ESSM launchers and two RIM-116 RAM launchers for anti-aircraft missiles. It also has three Phalanx CIWS and four M2 .50 Cal. (12.7 mm) machine guns.
The ship is designed to carry more than 80 aircraft, but has the capacity to hold up to 90 combat aircraft. To facilitate this, it features a sizable flight deck, measuring 1,092 feet by 256 feet (333 meters by 78 meters).
