HII begins training crew aboard CVN 79
Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) has begun training crew members after the first of 2,700 compartments of the Gerard R Ford-class John F Kennedy (CVN 79) aircraft carrier were handed over to the US Navy.
This allows sailors to train in spaces whilst the final phase of outfitting and testing is completed at HII’s Newport News division in Virginia, the company announced on 27 February.
Mike Butler, John F Kennedy programme manager, said: ‘The first sailors coming on board is a significant step in the life of the ship… Our completing and turning over these spaces to the crew will allow them to start on-hands, shipboard training, and learn the systems and components they will operate when the ship joins the fleet.’
The vessel was launched in December 2019 and over the next two years the final spaces will be completed such as the berthing and mess areas.
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