U.S. Navy Begins Sea Trials of USS John F. Kennedy Aircraft Carrier

The US Navy’s next Gerald R. Ford-class supercarrier, the future USS John F. Kennedy (CVN-79), has officially begun builder’s sea trials after departing Huntington Ingalls Industries’ Newport News Shipbuilding on January 28, 2026.

This major milestone follows initial nuclear propulsion testing conducted in the James River in September 2025, and moves the carrier from dockside checks to open-water evaluation.

With the planned deactivation of USS Nimitz (CVN-68) starting in 2026 and CVN-79 expected to arrive in 2027, the US Navy could temporarily drop from 11 to 10 aircraft carriers, intensifying concerns over a growing carrier availability gap.

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