The future USS John F. Kennedy, the US Navy's second Gerald R. Ford-class nuclear-powered aircraft carrier (CVN), has begun undergoing her acceptance trials.
Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) said these trials will test and evaluate the CVN's important ship systems and components at sea.
Following an evaluation of the ship's performance and of the functionality of the systems being tested, she will be prepared for delivery and commissioning.
Built by HII's Newport News Shipbuilding division, the carrier honours the late John F. Kennedy, who was President of the United States from 1961 until his assassination in 1963. Prior to entering politics, the late president had served as a US Navy officer and was the captain of the famed patrol torpedo boat PT-109 when it saw combat in the Pacific in World War II.
The second Ford-class CVN is also the second aircraft carrier to be named after the late President Kennedy. She is tentatively scheduled for delivery to the navy in March 2027, while fitting out is expected to be completed by July of that year.