USS John F. Kennedy Starts Sea Trials Amid Policy Shift on Launch Systems

The second vessel in the US Navy’s Ford-class line, the USS John F. Kennedy, has departed Newport News, Virginia, for acceptance trials. Huntington Ingalls Industries confirmed that the nuclear-powered carrier is now undergoing at-sea testing to evaluate the performance of its onboard systems and components.

As the builder of the vessel, Huntington Ingalls is currently navigating a complex market environment. The company’s stock was trading at $322.96 at the time of writing, reflecting a decline of 0.93% from the previous close of $325.99. The industrial firm holds a market capitalization of approximately $12.88 billion.

The Kennedy is slated to replace the USS Nimitz, the lead ship of the preceding class which was commissioned in 1975. The legacy carrier is expected to be decommissioned following its final deployment this July. Should the sea trials proceed according to plan, the Kennedy is projected to enter frontline service in the first half of 2027. This timeline represents a two-year delay from the Navy’s original schedule.

Concurrent with the departure of the carrier, the White House has issued a directive altering the technical requirements for future vessels. A presidential memo signed on 13 August instructs the Department of Defense to revert to traditional steam-driven catapults for upcoming Ford-class carriers, moving away from the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS). The memo also mandates that future ships replace electromagnetic weapons elevators with conventional hydraulic lifts.

Developed by General Atomics, EMALS utilizes a linear induction motor rather than steam pistons to launch aircraft. While the electric system is designed to reduce structural fatigue on airframes through more controlled acceleration, its development was associated with significant technical challenges that contributed to the delayed commissioning of the lead ship, the USS Gerald R. Ford. The Navy now has 60 days to formulate a plan for this systems integration change.

What to watch

• Final results of the USS John F. Kennedy acceptance trials and the official delivery date.
• The Pentagon’s 60-day plan regarding the integration of steam catapults into future Ford-class designs.
• Upcoming earnings reports from Huntington Ingalls Industries for updates on construction timelines.

Source: original release