US Navy christens USS John F Kennedy
The US Navy christened USS John F Kennedy (CVN 79) at Huntington-Ingalls Industries’ Newport News Shipbuilding on 7 December.
The second Gerald R Ford-class aircraft carrier for the US Navy, CVN 79 incorporates more than 23 new technologies, including advances in propulsion, power generation, ordnance handling and aircraft launch systems.
The class is expected to deliver a 33 percent higher sortie generation rate compared to Nimitz-class carriers, and a reduction of approximately $4 billion per ship in life-cycle operations and support costs.
The new technology and combat capabilities that the John F Kennedy brings to the fleet will support a more capable and lethal forward-deployed US naval presence, and enable enhanced interoperability with other platforms in the carrier strike group as well as with the naval forces of regional allies and partners.
Related Equipment in Defence Insight
More from Naval Warfare
-
![Shoreline vulnerability drives Gulf interest in USV networks]()
Shoreline vulnerability drives Gulf interest in USV networks
Ukraine’s combat-proven Magura uncrewed surface vessel is attracting Gulf state interest as the Iran war exposes gaps in layered maritime air defence, raising questions about whether low-cost attritable systems can gain a foothold in a procurement culture historically drawn to high-end Western platforms.
-
![Sweden swayed by speed to capability in French frigate win]()
Sweden swayed by speed to capability in French frigate win
Naval Group has secured a contract to supply four Frégate de Défense et d’Intervention frigates to the Royal Swedish Navy, extending the French naval industry’s reach into Northern Europe and showing why speed to capability has become the defining criterion in today’s defence procurement contests.
-
![SOF Week 2026: US NSW explores 3D-printed USVs for forward-deployed operations]()
SOF Week 2026: US NSW explores 3D-printed USVs for forward-deployed operations
US Naval Special Warfare Command is assessing the feasibility of rapidly producing expendable mid-sized USVs in theatre to support SOF and maritime security missions.
-
![SOF Week 2026: MARSOC selects upgraded Shark Marine dive navigation system]()
SOF Week 2026: MARSOC selects upgraded Shark Marine dive navigation system
MARSOC is procuring the Shark Marine Dive Tablet 2 to address a longstanding combat diver navigation capability gap, improving underwater positioning, situational awareness and integration with existing diver propulsion vehicles.
