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Construction of aircraft carrier John F. Kennedy is on his way to the end.
Author:Mariusz Dasiewicz
On May 29, a key moment took place in the construction of a new aircraft carrier for the US Navy. At Huntington Ingalls shipyard, the John F. Kennedy (CVN 79) superstructure (also referred to as the island) was installed on the ship, which now dominates the aircraft deck. A weighing 588 tonnes, the island will serve as a command center for air operations from a second aircraft carrier of type Gerald R. Ford.
Mounting a superstructure on an aircraft carrier is the equivalent of putting a mast on sailboats and is one of the most important moments in the construction of units of this class. It is also one of the key locations for the operation of aircraft carriers, as there are, among others, a navigation bridge, flight control, radar and a number of other important systems.
– With the installation of the island, John F. Kennedy accepted this distinctive profile found in aircraft carriers," said Rear Admiral Brian Antonio, responsible for implementing the aircraft carrier program for the US Navy. "This moment symbolizes the closeness of the construction work to the end and the launch of the ship, turning steel and wiring into a working unit", Antonio added.
The May 29 ceremony is at the same time the 102nd anniversary of the birth of U.S. President John F. Kennedy, as well as the date of the official announcement of the aircraft carrier's name, which took place in 2011. The first aircraft carrier bearing the name of this patron – CV 67 – served in the Navy from 1968 to 2007 and was a conventional-powered unit.
While USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) was the heaviest and most complete aircraft carrier during its launching, Kennedy is expected to be even heavier before leaving construction blocks to begin the next stage of construction. At the same time, according to the information provided by Captain Phil Malone, responsible for the CVN's 79, 80 and 81 aircraft carrier programme, improvements in the construction and supply of materials result in John. F. Kennedy being constructed using approximately 18% less labor hours than CVN 78.
According to current plans and assumptions, the US Navy is expected to acquire a total of 10 carriers of type Gerald R. Ford. CVN 79 is scheduled to enter service in 2022 and another unit – USS Enterprise (CVN 80) – in 2027.
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