USS John F. Kennedy (CVN-79)
 Artist impression of the Gerald R. Ford class. |
|
| Career |  |
|---|---|
| Name: | PCU John F. Kennedy |
| Namesake: | John F. Kennedy |
| Builder: | Huntington Ingalls Industries |
| Status: | Under construction |
| General characteristics | |
| Class & type: | Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carrier |
| Displacement: | 100,000 tons |
| Length: | 1,106 ft (337 m) |
| Beam: | 134 ft (41 m) |
| Propulsion: | 2 A1B nuclear reactors |
| Speed: | 30+ knots |
| Range: | Unlimited distance; 20-25 years |
| Complement: | 4,660 |
| Armament: | Surface-to-air missiles Close-in weapons systems |
| Aircraft carried: | More than 75 |
| Aviation facilities: | 1,092 x 256 foot flight deck |
| Notes: | Nuclear powered supercarrier |
PCU John F. Kennedy (CVN-79) is a planned United States Navy Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carrier. The ship is in construction and to be placed in commission in 2020.
Contents |
Naming [edit]
On 7 December 2007, the 66th anniversary of the Attack on Pearl Harbor, Congressman Harry Mitchell (D-AZ) proposed naming this ship USS Arizona. In 2009, Congressman John Shadegg (R-AZ) proposed naming the ship or the subsequent CVN-80, Barry M. Goldwater after Barry Goldwater, the late senator from Arizona.[1] On 29 May 2011, the Department of Defense announced that the ship would be named for John F. Kennedy (1917–1963), the 35th President of the United States, who served in the Navy during World War II.[2][3] She will be the third Navy ship named after members of the Kennedy family, and the second aircraft carrier named John F. Kennedy, replacing John F. Kennedy (CV-67), which served from 1967 to 2007.
Construction [edit]
On 15 January 2009, Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding was awarded a $374 million contract for design work and construction preparation for John F. Kennedy.[4] On 30 September 2010, Northrop Grumman announced a new Vice President for the construction of the Kennedy, Mike Shawcross, and that preparations were under way to begin construction.[5]
On 25 February 2011, the Navy conducted the "First Cut of Steel" ceremony at Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding in Newport News, VA. This ceremony signaled the formal start of construction for John F. Kennedy.[6][7]
The John F. Kennedy was originally planned to be completed in 2018 however in a speech on 6 April 2009, then Secretary of Defense Robert Gates announced that the Navy Aircraft Carrier program would shift to a five-year building program so as to place it on a "more fiscally sustainable path" resulting in the Kennedy now scheduled to be completed in 2020. However, as of late 2012, delays had occurred in construction and the Navy Department was investigating extending the construction time of both the USS Enterprise (CVN-80) and the John F. Kennedy by an additional two years. If such a timetable shift was to occur, the carrier would not enter service until around 2022.[8]
The ship may replace the USS Nimitz (CVN-68).[8]
References [edit]
- ^ Library of Congress - H. CON. RES. 83
- ^ "Navy Names Next Aircraft Carrier USS John F. Kennedy". Retrieved 2011-05-29.
- ^ Frost, Peter, "U.S. Navy's Next Aircraft Carrier Will Be Named After The Late John F. Kennedy", Newport News Daily Press, 30 May 2011.
- ^ http://www.sb.northropgrumman.com/about/assets/Newport_News_Facts.pdf
- ^ "Photo Release -- Northrop Grumman Announces Leadership Changes at Shipbuilding Sector in Newport News" (Press release). Northrop Grumman. Sept. 30, 2010.
- ^ "Construction Begins on Navy's Newest Aircraft Carrier" (Press release). Newport News Shipbuilding. February 25, 2011. Retrieved 2011-05-29.
- ^ Frost, Peter, "Shipyard Cuts First Steel For Next Carrier; Funding Remains In Flux", Newport News Daily Press, 26 February 2011.
- ^ a b Ronald O'Rourke (26 July 2012). "Navy Ford (CVN-78) Class Aircraft Carrier Program: Background and Issues for Congress". Congressional Research Service. Retrieved 1 December 2012.
External links [edit]
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: USS John F. Kennedy (CVN-79) |
- DoD press release naming CVN-79 John F. Kennedy
- Builder Website: Construction Milestones
- Press Release: First Cut of Steel Ceremony
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