Supercarrier USS John F. Kennedy Gets Underway for Acceptance Trials

The second of the United States’ Ford class supercarriers, USS John F. Kennedy, got underway Wednesday afternoon, August 12, for her acceptance trials. Coming approximately six months after her first underway, the builder’s trials, the second underway marks a key milestone as the carrier closes in on her long-anticipated delivery to the U.S. Navy.

Her builders, Newport News Shipbuilding, which is a division of HII, confirmed the acceptance trials are underway with a social media posting showing the massive carrier heading out to sea from Virginia. “These trials will test and evaluate important ship systems and components at sea. This milestone is thanks to the dedication and commitment of our incredible shipbuilders, suppliers, ship’s force crew and US Navy teammates,” posted the yard.

There was no indication of how long the carrier is expected to remain at sea. HII reported the start of the builder’s trials on January 28, 2026, and her return to Virginia on February 4. At the time, they reported it had been a successful first effort and that the carrier would continue her outfitting.

USS John F. Kennedy departing Virginia for acceptance trials (HII)

Measuring approximately 1,106 feet (368 meters) in length and exceeding 100,000 tons displacement, the vessels are the largest put to sea and feature a broad range of advanced systems. She is largely a sister to USS Gerald R. Ford, although the U.S. Congress and Navy decided to make several key changes during construction. This included moving forward the schedule for work that might have otherwise been done after delivery to complete it during the construction phase.

The class incorporates a new generation of nuclear reactors and advanced electrical systems versus the older Nimitz class carriers. For USS Kennedy, the Navy also decided to make changes versus USS Ford to give the carrier the capability for the F-35C Lightning II fighters. Other systems were also added, including Enterprise Air Surveillance Radar.

The carrier, however, is severely behind the originally anticipated schedule, and the construction has experienced large cost overruns. Steel cutting began in 2011, and the keel laying was in 2015. The carrier’s hull was completed so that it was floated out of the dry dock in 2019 and was named. In addition to COVID-19 releated delays, in 2020 the U.S. Navy confirmed changes to the construction plan, which were reported to add two years to the carrier’s schedule. An original delivery date of 2020 has slipped back several times, with it currently expected the carrier will be handed over to the Navy in March 2027.

Two of the next-generation systems, the Advanced Arresting Gear and the Advanced Weapons Elevators, are reported to be causing the final delays. Newport News reported issues with the systems and longer-than-anticipated schedules during the outfitting of USS Ford, and similar issues have cropped up for USS Kennedy. USNI News is reporting that currently seven of the 11 weapons elevators have completed construction. USS Ford was delivered without those systems, which took years to complete and commission.

Newport News is benefiting from the experience with the construction of USS Ford, while the Navy is also incorporating lessons learned during the first deployments of the supercarrier. USS Ford was reported to have experienced a range of issues during her record-setting 11 months at sea in 2025-2026. She returned to Virginia on May 16 after 326 days deployed. She took the title of the longest deployment since the Vietnam War and the third or fourth longest deployment in recent history. The Navy also gained key experience with the carrier involved in both the action in Venezuela and the conflict with Iran.

USS Gerald R. Ford is also currently in Virginia undergoing an extended period of maintenance, as is typical after a long deployment for a carrier. It is reported she could spend as much as a year undergoing overhauls and repairs, meaning she could return to sea around the same time USS John F. Kennedy is officially delivered to the U.S. Navy. Newport News also has work underway for two additional carriers, with delivery of USS Enterprise currently targeted for March 2031 and USS Doris Miller targeted for February 2034.