USS John F. Kennedy (CVN-79)

History of the USS John F. Kennedy (CVN-79)

The "new" U.S. Navy plans to procure three new Gerald R. Ford-class nuclear-powered "supercarriers" to replace the powerful but aging Nimitz-class ships currently in service.

The John F. Kennedy (CVN-79) was the second ship in the three-person Gerald R. Ford class, followed by the USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) and the USS Enterprise ( CVN-80) (currently in planning). JFK has entered construction under the direction of Huntington Ingalls Industries (formerly Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding) and is expected to be operational sometime in 2020 (or later). Kennedy is named after the 35th President of the United States, John F. Kennedy (1917-1963), a World War II veteran but best known for his November 1963 assassination by gunman Lee Harvey Oswald. The USS John F. Kennedy (CVN-79) was the second US Navy ship to bear the JFK designation and the third to bear the Kennedy surname. The first such ship was the previous single-ship JFK-class aircraft carrier USS John F. Kennedy (CV-67).

CVN-79 was placed during a ceremony on February 25, 2011.

As proposed, JFK is powered by 2 A1B (A = "aircraft carrier", "1" = first generation, "B" = Bechtel Marine Propulsion Corporation) nuclear reactors with a linear speed of approximately 30 knots under ideal conditions - Very fast for a boat of this size. The use of nuclear energy (a staple of the U.S.

Navy compared to competing global launch designs elsewhere) provides essentially unlimited operating range, theoretically limited only by the life of the reactor itself, which can span decades (before replacement may take 20 to 25 years before) required). ). Compared to the previous A4W series of nuclear reactors for the Nimitz class, the A1B model has a smaller profile, simplified structure and up to three times the energy output. This propulsion allows the U.S. Navy to be called to anywhere in the world, making the U.S.

Navy the most powerful navy in the world.

The total CVN-79 crew is up to 4,660, typically 500 officers, 3,790 soldiers, and other security and special personnel (based on latest published specifications).

While the JFK supercarrier's attack range is primarily its wings, the ship will also be authorized to use defense-focused weapons to repel incoming air threats (aircraft, cruise missiles) capable of penetrating the entire US Navy and others) fleet carrier group defense network. This includes the use of 2 RIM-162 ESSM (Evolved Sea Sparrow) medium-range surface-to-air missile launchers or 2 RIM-116 Rolling Airframe Missile (RAM) infrared homing surface-to-air launchers.

Close defense is provided by 2 x 20mm Phalanx Close-In Weapon System (CIWS) and 4 x 12.7mm Browning M2 heavy machine guns (or similar).

The CVN-79 will be equipped with the latest USN approved sensors and processing systems. Originally developed for the upcoming Zumwalt-class destroyer, the AN/SPY-3 Dual Band Radar (DBR) system will feature a full 3D tracking and combat control suite, GPS support, encrypted data link and system automation.

All in all, the new layout promises to make the Kennedy an efficient and state-of-the-art surface combatant with no comparable design outside the U.S. Navy.

The Kennedy was originally scheduled to be commissioned in 2018, until a 2009 review delayed her commissioning until 2020. However, this target year has also been discussed, and commissioning is expected to be delayed sometime in 2022.

Based on the US Navy's budget/theory at the time, the Gerald R. Ford-class was expected to replace several of the existing older Nimitz-class fleets. Before the Kennedy name was chosen, CVN-79 was named for USS Arizona and later USS Barry M. Goldwater.

Specification

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