Raytheon Missiles & Defense, a Raytheon Technologies business, has delivered SPY-6 radar arrays to the future U.S.S. John F. Kennedy (CVN-79), the first aircraft carrier to receive the advanced radar.
When three SPY-6(V)3 radar arrays (left) are combined, they provide 360 degree coverage for aircraft carriers, like the future-U.S.S. John F. Kennedy (CVN-79)
This delivery is the first of three for the aircraft carrier. Together, the three fixed-face radar arrays will form a SPY-6(V)3, also known as the Enterprise Air Surveillance Radar, which provides 360-degree coverage for the ship. In addition to the proven multi-mission capabilities across the SPY-6 family, SPY-6(V)3 has unique features that meet the needs of an aircraft carrier, including weather mapping and air traffic control functionality.
«This is the first aircraft carrier that will be equipped with SPY-6 radars, the leading naval radar system in the world», said Kim Ernzen, president of Naval Power at Raytheon Missiles & Defense. «With the recent contract, SPY-6 will provide premier detection and coverage for more than 40 ships in the U.S. Navy throughout the next decade».
The SPY-6 family of radars provides integrated air and missile defense for seven classes of ships. Its radar modular assemblies, known as RMAs, allow SPY-6 to be scalable and modular to support production for the U.S. and partner nations across all variants.
Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) announced today that it is making significant progress in the compartment and systems construction of the aircraft carrier USS John F. Kennedy (CVN-79).
Newport News Shipbuilding division is progressing through construction of the aircraft carrier USS John F. Kennedy (CVN-79) turning over more than 500 of the total 2,615 compartments, including the machine room which is one of the larger spaces. The completed spaces allow sailors to begin training on the ship while final outfitting and testing continues
Newport News Shipbuilding division recently eclipsed the 20% mark on compartment completion, turning over to the ship’s crew more than 500 of the total 2,615 spaces. It also has installed more than 8 million feet/2,438,400 m of cable – or more than 1,500 miles/2,414 km – of the approximately 10.5 million feet/3,200,400 m of cable on Kennedy.
The most recently completed spaces include berthing, machinery and electrical. This allows sailors assigned to the pre-commissioning unit to continue training on the ship while final outfitting and testing progresses.
«We are pleased with the progress being made on Kennedy», said Lucas Hicks, vice president of the USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) and USS John F. Kennedy (CVN-79) aircraft carrier programs. «We are in the very early stages of systems testing, and look forward to successfully executing our work on equipment, systems and compartments that brings us closer to delivering the ship to the fleet».
Kennedy is more than 80% complete overall, and is scheduled to be delivered to the U.S. Navy in 2024.
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Huntington Ingalls Industries Newport News Shipbuilding, Newport News, Virginia
Nine days after christening the U.S. Navy’s newest nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, Huntington Ingalls Industries’ (HII) Newport News Shipbuilding division launched USS John F. Kennedy (CVN-79) into the James River for the first time, on Monday, December 17, 2019.
Newport News Shipbuilding division successfully launched the aircraft carrier USS John F. Kennedy (CVN-79) into the James River on Monday, December 17, 2019, four weeks ahead of the original schedule (Photo by Ashley Cowan/HII)
With the aid of six tugboats, the USS John F. Kennedy (CVN-79) was guided down the river about a mile from Newport News Shipbuilding’s Dry Dock 12, where it has been under construction, to the shipyard’s Pier 3. There, the ship will undergo additional outfitting and begin its testing program three months ahead of its original schedule.
«This move is significant in that it represents a shift in focus from erecting the ship in dock to final completion and outfitting at the pier», said Mike Butler, program director for the USS John F. Kennedy (CVN-79). «It is also a testament to the amazing teamwork I see every day between Newport News Shipbuilding and the Navy as we work together to build Kennedy with valuable first-of-class lessons from the Ford».
During this phase of construction, which is expected to take about two and a half years, habitability spaces, such as berthing and mess areas, will be completed, and distributive, mechanical and combat systems, such as catapults and radar arrays, will be tested.
The USS John F. Kennedy (CVN-79) is scheduled for delivery to the U.S. Navy in 2022.
Tugboats move the aircraft carrier USS John F. Kennedy (CVN-79) from Newport News Shipbuilding’s Dock Dry 12 to Pier 3 on December 16, where the ship will undergo final completion and outfitting (Photo by Matt Hildreth/HII)
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Huntington Ingalls Industries Newport News Shipbuilding, Newport News, Virginia
The U.S. Navy’s newest aircraft carrier, the future USS John F. Kennedy (CVN-79), was christened on Saturday, December 7, 2019, during an 11 a.m. EST ceremony at Newport News, Virginia.
New Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carrier USS John F. Kennedy (CVN-79) christened December 7
USS John F. Kennedy (CVN-79) is the second aircraft carrier of the Gerald R. Ford class, slated to replace USS Nimitz (CVN-68), when that ship is decommissioned.
Former NASA Administrator Major General Charles F. Bolden, USMC (Retired), delivered the ceremony’s keynote address. Ambassador Caroline Kennedy, President Kennedy’s daughter, served as the ship’s sponsor and broke a bottle of American sparkling wine against a plate welded to the hull.
«USS John F. Kennedy will carry the legacy of its namesake and the power of our nation», said Acting Secretary of the Navy Thomas Modly. «The advanced technology and warfighting capabilities this aircraft carrier brings to our global challenges will strengthen our allies and partners, extend our reach against potential adversaries, and further the global mission of our integrated naval force».
USS John F. Kennedy (CVN-79) is the second aircraft carrier to honor President John F. Kennedy for a lifetime of service to the nation. The president wore the uniform of our nation as a Navy lieutenant during World War II and served as the 35th President of the United States, from January 1961 to November 1963.
USS John F. Kennedy (CVN-79), along with its embarked air wing and other strike group assets, will provide the core capabilities of forward presence, deterrence, sea control, power projection, maritime security and humanitarian assistance.
Built by Huntington Ingalls Industries’ Newport News Shipbuilding division, the Gerald R. Ford class incorporates advances in technology, such as a new propulsion system, electric plant, Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS), Advanced Arresting Gear (AAG), machinery control, radars and integrated warfare systems.
«This is a very proud and particularly poignant moment for the CVN-79 shipbuilding team», said Rear Adm. James P. Downey, program executive officer for Aircraft Carriers. «We are grateful to the thousands of engineers and planners from Naval Sea Systems Command, to the HII-NNS shipbuilders, and to the sailors and crew of the John F. Kennedy, who are working tirelessly as a team to construct this formidable aircraft carrier».
At 1,092 feet/333 m in length and 100,000 tons, USS John F. Kennedy (CVN-79) incorporates more than 23 new technologies, comprising dramatic advances in propulsion, power generation, ordnance handling and aircraft launch systems. These innovations will support a 33% higher sortie generation rate at a significant cost savings, when compared to Nimitz-class carriers. The Gerald R. Ford class also offers a significant reduction – approximately $4 billion per ship – in life cycle operations and support costs compared to the earlier Nimitz class.
The new technology and warfighting capabilities that the USS John F. Kennedy (CVN-79) brings to the fleet will transform naval warfare, supporting a more capable and lethal forward-deployed U.S. naval presence. In an emerging era of great power competition, USS John F. Kennedy (CVN-79) will serve as the most agile and lethal combat platform in the world, with improved systems that enhance interoperability among other platforms in the carrier strike group, as well as with the naval forces of regional allies and partners.
The ship’s crest for the Ford-class aircraft carrier USS John F. Kennedy (CVN-79) (U.S. Navy graphic/Released)
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Huntington Ingalls Industries Newport News Shipbuilding, Newport News, Virginia
Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) on October 29, 2019 began flooding the dry dock at its Newport News Shipbuilding division where the keel of aircraft carrier USS John F. Kennedy (CVN-79) was laid in 2015.
JThe flooding of Dry Dock 12, which began on Tuesday at Newport News Shipbuilding, was the first time the aircraft carrier USS John F. Kennedy (CVN-79) touched water. The ship will be christened in December (Photo by Ashley Cowan/HII)
The controlled process of slowly filling the dry dock with more than 100 million gallons/379 million liters of water takes place over several days, and marks the first time the ship has been in water.
«The flooding of the dry dock is truly a historic event in the construction of the ship and a special moment for the men and women who have worked to get the ship to the point», said Mike Butler, program director for Kennedy. «We have made remarkable progress with Kennedy’s construction, and are pleased to get to this phase of construction three months ahead of the original schedule and fewer man hours. We look forward to the upcoming christening and launch as we prepare to start our testing program».
The flooding of the dry dock takes place in phases during which various tests are conducted. The dock initially was flooded about 10 feet high to its keel blocks, wood-capped concrete pads on which the ship has been supported during construction. Once the dock is fully flooded and initial testing is complete, the ship will be floated to the west end of the dry dock. Next month, additional tests will take place prior to Kennedy’s christening on December 7.
More than 3,200 shipbuilders and 2,000 suppliers from across the country are supporting the construction of Kennedy. Following the christening, the USS John F. Kennedy (CVN-79) will undock into the James River where outfitting and testing of the ship’s systems will continue until the ship is delivered to the U.S. Navy in 2022.
More than 100 million gallons/379 million liters of water began flowing into Newport News Shipbuilding’s Dry Dock 12, where the aircraft carrier USS John F. Kennedy (CVN-79) is being constructed (Photo by Matt Hildreth/HII)
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Huntington Ingalls Industries Newport News Shipbuilding, Newport News, Virginia
Digital technology marked the exact location where Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) landed the island onto the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS John F. Kennedy (CVN-79) during a ceremony on May 29, 2019, at the company’s Newport News Shipbuilding division. The event coincided with the birthday of the ship’s namesake, former President John F. Kennedy.
HII landed the island onto the flight deck of aircraft carrier USS John F. Kennedy (CVN-79) during a ceremony at the company’s Newport News Shipbuilding division on May 29, 2019 (Photo by Matt Hildreth/HII)
«Landing the island is a key milestone in preparing the ship for launch in the fall», said Jennifer Boykin, president of Newport News Shipbuilding. «Reaching this milestone on schedule demonstrates the significant lessons learned we are applying to this ship’s construction, as well as the strides we’ve made to use new technologies to gain efficiencies».
The 588-ton island, which will serve as the command-and-control center for flight deck operations, is one of the last steel structures, known as a superlift, to be placed onto the ship, signifying that Kennedy is one step closer to being launched.
The ship is being built in sections with more outfitted equipment – valves, pipe, electrical panels, mounting studs, lighting, ventilation and other components – than any other aircraft carrier built at Newport News. The use of new technologies, including digital work instructions that provide shipbuilders digital 3-D data versus traditional paper drawings, has increased efficiency and productivity.
With the island, Kennedy is more than 90% structurally complete. The island stands 72 feet/22 m above the flight deck and is 56 feet/17 m long and 33 feet/10 m wide.
In keeping with the Navy tradition, Capt. Todd Marzano, the ship’s prospective commanding officer, placed his aviator wings underneath the island during the ceremony. This custom, known as mast-stepping, recognizes an ancient maritime custom of placing a coin at the base of a mast of a ship under construction to bring good fortune.
«It’s an absolute honor and privilege to be selected as the first commanding officer of the new aircraft carrier John F. Kennedy, and I’m truly humbled to be joining such an impressive team of highly talented shipbuilders who have worked so hard to make this historic event possible», Marzano said. «Landing the island on the flight deck is a significant construction milestone, bringing John F. Kennedy one very important step closer to being commissioned into the fleet, where its value to our nation cannot be overstated».
Caroline Kennedy, John F. Kennedy’s daughter, serves as the ship’s sponsor. She could not participate in today’s event but shared a 1964 silver Kennedy half dollar that Marzano placed under the island house.
«The island landing is an important milestone in the life of this ship», Kennedy wrote in a letter. «I know how proud my father would be of the ship that will bear his name and the patriotism and dedication of all who sail in her».
Boykin placed a Newport News Shipbuilding president’s coin, which was designed to recognize dedication, service and leadership – three qualities that the ship and its crew will demonstrate when they set sail in our nation’s defense, she explained.
The other ceremony participants – James Geurts, assistant secretary of the Navy for research, development and acquisition; Rear Admiral Roy J. Kelley, commander, Naval Air Force Atlantic; and Rear Admiral Brian Antonio, program executive officer for aircraft carriers – also placed coins.
A time capsule containing all of items placed under the island will be welded into the ship at a later time.
Kennedy is scheduled to move from the dry dock to an outfitting berth in the fourth quarter of 2019, three months ahead of schedule. The ship’s christening is planned for later this year.
More than 4,500 shipbuilders and 2,000 suppliers from across the country are supporting the construction of Kennedy.
An improved build strategy, which includes the use of digital technologies to improve efficiencies, has allowed Huntington Ingalls Industries’ (HII) Newport News Shipbuilding division to reach another milestone in the construction of the aircraft carrier USS John F. Kennedy (CVN-79).
USS John F. Kennedy (CVN-79) Lower Bow Lift
The company on Friday lowered the final piece of the ship’s underwater hull into place. The joining of the 726-ton lower bow, which includes the distinctive bulbous feature, completes the section of the ship below the waterline and extends the nuclear-powered warship an additional 122 feet/37 m.
At 1,096 feet/334 m, Kennedy’s hull is longer than three football fields.
The lower bow is more than 64 feet/19.5 m tall and 54 feet/16.5 m wide and is one of the heaviest planned steel structures, known as superlifts, to be placed on the ship. The unit consists of 84,000 square feet/7,804 square meter of tanks and chain lockers.
«This superlift completes the underwater hull of the ship and completes the erection of all of the ship’s structures from main deck down», said Lucas Hicks, Newport News’ vice president, CVN-79 carrier construction. «The lower bow superlift is another good example of how the use of technology is driving how we are building the next generation aircraft carrier. This brings us one step closer to launching the ship next year», Hicks said.
More than 3,000 shipbuilders and 2,000 suppliers from across the country are supporting the construction of Kennedy.
Kennedy’s keel was laid in 2015. The christening is planned for late 2019.
Huntington Ingalls Industries’ (HII) Newport News Shipbuilding division reached the midpoint in the construction of the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS John F. Kennedy (CVN-79) following the installation of one of the largest units on the ship.
USS John F. Kennedy (CVN-79) Aft Section Superlift
Weighing approximately 905 metric tons, the unit is one of the heaviest of the planned steel structures, known as superlifts, that will be joined together to make up the second ship in the Gerald R. Ford class. The superlift of the aft section of the ship between the hangar bay and flight deck is 80 feet/24.4 m long, about 110 feet/33.5 m wide and four decks in height.
Combining 19 smaller units into one superlift allowed Newport News to install a majority of the outfitting equipment – grating, pumps, valves, pipe, electrical panels, mounting studs, lighting, ventilation and other components – before the structure was hoisted into the dry dock using the shipyard’s 1,050-metric ton gantry crane. This approach resulted in this work being completed 14 months earlier than it was on Ford, said Lucas Hicks, Newport News’ vice president, CVN-79 program.
«This was a game changer for us», Hicks said. «Performing higher levels of pre-outfitting represents a significant improvement in aircraft carrier construction, allowing us to build larger structures than ever before and providing greater cost savings».
«This superlift represents the future build strategy for Ford-class carriers», said Mike Butler, program director of CVN-79. «Not only did we build this superlift larger and with significantly more pre-outfitting, we managed much of the work on the deckplate with new digital project management tools as part of our Integrated Digital Shipbuilding initiative. The lessons we learned from this successful superlift will allow us to build even more similar superlifts on future ships in the Ford class».
Kennedy is scheduled to move from the dry dock to an outfitting berth in the fourth quarter of 2019, three months ahead of schedule.
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Huntington Ingalls Industries Newport News Shipbuilding, Newport News, Virginia
On June 22, 2017, Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) announced that the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS John F. Kennedy (CVN-79) grew about 70 feet/21.3 m in length with the addition of the lower stern. The lower stern was lifted into place at the company’s Newport News Shipbuilding division, where the second Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carrier is now 50 percent structurally complete.
Shipbuilders at Newport News Shipbuilding lifted the lower stern of CVN-79 into place
Like Ford, Kennedy is being built using modular construction, a process where smaller sections of the ship are welded together to form larger structural units (called «superlifts»), equipment is then installed, and the large superlifts are lifted into the dry dock using the company’s 1,050-metric ton gantry crane.
«This is a significant milestone in the ship’s construction schedule», said Mike Shawcross, Newport News’ vice president, USS John F. Kennedy (CVN-79) and USS Enterprise (CVN-80) aircraft carrier construction. «We are halfway through lifting the units onto the ship, and many of the units are larger and nearly all are more complete than the CVN-78 lifts were. This is one of many lessons learned from the construction of the lead ship that are helping to reduce construction costs and improve efficiencies on Kennedy».
After several days of preparations, the 932-metric ton lower stern lift took about an hour to complete, thanks to a team of about 25 shipbuilders – from riggers and the crane operator to shipwrights and ship fitters. The lower stern consists of 30 individual units and includes the ship’s rudders, steering gear rooms and electrical power distribution room. The carrier is on track to be completed with 445 lifts, which is 51 fewer than Ford and 149 fewer than USS George H.W. Bush (CVN-77), the last Nimitz-class carrier.
The lower stern, which weights 932 metric tons, consists of 30 individual units and includes the ship’s rudders, steering gear rooms and electrical power distribution room
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Builder
Huntington Ingalls Industries Newport News Shipbuilding, Newport News, Virginia
Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) announced today that its Newport News Shipbuilding division lifted a 704-metric ton unit into Dry Dock 12, where the aircraft carrier USS John F. Kennedy (CVN-79) is taking shape. The superlift is part of an improved build strategy implemented on the second ship of the USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) class, resulting in superlifts erected at a higher state of outfitting completion.
On January 17, Newport News Shipbuilders lifted a 704-metric-ton unit into Dry Dock 12, where the aircraft carrier USS John F. Kennedy (CVN-79) is taking shape (Photo by Chris Oxley/HII)
«For Kennedy, increased pre-outfitting puts into practice one of many lessons learned from Gerald R. Ford», said Mike Shawcross, Newport News’ vice president, CVN-79 construction. «This superlift will erect the first portion of hangar bay».
The unit, which has been under construction since August 2015, is made up of 22 smaller units and comprises small equipment and machinery rooms, berthing, and other quality-of-life spaces, such as the barber shop and post office. It measures about 80 feet/24.4 m long and 105 feet/32 m wide. Like Ford, Kennedy is being built using modular construction, a process where smaller sections of the ship are welded together to form large structural units, equipment is installed, and the large units are lifted into the dry dock using the shipyard’s 1,050-metric ton gantry crane.
Kennedy is about 25 percent complete. The carrier is on track to be completed with 445 lifts, which is 51 fewer than Ford and 149 less than USS George H.W. Bush (CVN-77), the last Nimitz-class carrier. About 140 lifts have been placed in the dock and joined together since the ship’s keel was laid in August 2015. Kennedy is scheduled to be launched in 2020 and deliver to the Navy in 2022, when it will replace USS Nimitz (CVN-68).
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Huntington Ingalls Industries Newport News Shipbuilding, Newport News, Virginia
