Why the USS John F. Kennedy Aircraft Carrier Takes 16 Years to Build
The future USS John F. Kennedy (CVN 79) aircraft carrier, whose first steel was cut in 2011, will be delivered to the US Navy in March 2027, marking a 16-year construction period. The article analyzes three main causes for the extended timeline: America's sole nuclear carrier shipyard (Newport News) operating at capacity with rigid dry dock sequencing; chronic shortages of nuclear-certified welders, machinists, and electricians along with a strained supplier network; and the integration of two dozen unproven systems including advanced arresting gear and weapons elevators that continue to cause delays. The delays have fleet-level consequences: the 50-year-old USS Nimitz retired in May 2026 before its replacement arrived, leaving the Navy with only 10 carriers against a legal requirement of 11. The Congressional Budget Office reports that Ford-class carriers now take 10-11 years to build compared to 7-8 years for Nimitz-class, with destroyer and submarine build times nearly doubling.
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