USS John F Kennedy on schedule
Huntington Ingalls Industries’ (HII) Newport News Shipbuilding division has placed a 900-ton superlift into dry dock as part of construction of the future USS John F Kennedy (CVN 79), the second Gerald R Ford-class aircraft carrier for the US Navy, the company announced on 12 September.
According to HII, the ship’s cost and construction schedule is on track, with CVN 79 set to be completed with 445 superlifts.
Mike Shawcross, Newport News’ vice president, CVN 79 carrier construction, said: ‘The incorporation of lessons learned from CVN 78 on to CVN 79—and major build strategy changes to construct the ship a different way—are having a significant impact on our construction efficiencies.’
The ship is built using modular construction, where smaller sections are welded to form larger structural units called superlifts. The equipment is installed in these units, which are then lifted into the dry dock with the company’s 1,050-metric ton gantry crane.
Mike Butler, Newport News’ Kennedy construction programme director, said: ‘Fewer lifts to the dock means we’re building larger superlifts with more outfitting installed prior to erecting the sections in dock. This translates to man-hour savings because the work is being accomplished off the ship in a more efficient work environment.’
Since the ship’s keel was laid in August 2015, almost 90 lifts have been placed in the dock and joined together. CVN 79 is scheduled to be launched in 2020 and delivered to the US Navy in 2022. It will be replacing the supercarrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68).
More from Naval Warfare
-
![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.
-
![SOF Week 2026: NSW expands commercial UxS push to maritime platforms as USASOC advances FPV drone effort]()
SOF Week 2026: NSW expands commercial UxS push to maritime platforms as USASOC advances FPV drone effort
The US Army Special Operations Command and Naval Special Warfare are accelerating efforts to integrate commercial uncrewed systems, with NSW broadening its solicitation to include USVs and UUVs alongside new requirements for ISR, kinetic operations and swarm technologies.
-
![SOF Week 2026: US Navy USV completes record eight-day autonomous mission]()
SOF Week 2026: US Navy USV completes record eight-day autonomous mission
The MARTAC T38 Devil Ray USV has set a new endurance benchmark as the US Navy pushes deeper into autonomous maritime warfare.
