UPDATED: Navy Partially Accepts Carrier John F. Kennedy, HII Newport News Awarded USS Harry S. Truman Overhaul Contract
The future USS John F. Kennedy (CVN-79) achieved preliminary acceptance Tuesday, one of the last steps before it formally joins the fleet, as carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN-75) prepares for its mid-life overhaul. JFK, the second Ford-class aircraft carrier, left Tuesday from HII’s Newport News Shipbuilding division to eventually transition to the waterfront at Naval Station Norfolk, Va., as part of the preliminary acceptance, according to an HII spokesperson. The milestone allows the Navy and JFK’s crew to take the aircraft carrier to sea for underway testing and evaluation prior to official delivery to the sea service. “Achieving preliminary
John F. Kennedy (CVN-79) departs HII’s Newport News Shipbuilding on Sept. 29, 2026. HII photo The future USS John F. Kennedy (CVN-79) achieved preliminary acceptance Tuesday, one of the last steps before it formally joins the fleet, as carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN-75) prepares for its mid-life overhaul.
JFK, the second Ford-class aircraft carrier, left Tuesday from HII’s Newport News Shipbuilding division to eventually transition to the waterfront at Naval Station Norfolk, Va., as part of the preliminary acceptance, according to an HII spokesperson.
The milestone allows the Navy and JFK’s crew to take the aircraft carrier to sea for underway testing and evaluation prior to official delivery to the sea service.
“Achieving preliminary acceptance marks a new phase for the ship and her crew, allowing them to get more water under the keel as they test and train underway,” Capt. Mark Johnson, the Navy’s Program Manager for Gerald R. Ford-Class New Construction, said in the Navy press release. “This milestone is a testament to the shared commitment of our sailors and our combined Navy-industry team, who remain laser-focused on completing the final stages of construction and test with precision and efficiency to deliver combat-ready lethality to the fleet.”
JFK is scheduled to deliver to the service in March, according to the Navy’s 2027 budget documents.
“Achieving preliminary acceptance is another step toward ensuring the U.S. Navy has the aircraft carriers it needs to carry out the mission of defending our nation,” Bryan Caccavale, NNS vice president of program management, said in a statement from HII. “It is an honor to see Kennedy depart and begin integration into the fleet.”
JFK completed acceptance sea trials in August with seven out of 11 Advanced Weapons Elevators having been delivered. The sea trials followed years of delays and Navy and congressionally mandated equipment changes to the ship, USNI News reported. Completing the AWE and the Advanced Arresting Gear were the two major barriers to delivery.
Now, JFK is approximately 99 percent complete, the Navy said in a Tuesday press release.
“All major systems are complete. The shipbuilder is currently completing final ship systems testing, including testing of the remaining four Advanced Weapons Elevators,” reads the Navy’s news release.
The preliminary acceptance comes as HII’s Newport News Shipbuilding prepares to receive Harry S. Truman. The Navy issued Newport News Shipbuilding a $5 billion contract for Truman’s refueling and complex overhaul, the Pentagon announced Tuesday. RCOH’s are comprehensive maintenance and modernization overhauls done at the midpoint of a carrier’s lifespan.
Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN-75) sails through the Mediterranean Sea May 18, 2025. US Navy Photo The overhaul will be a down-to-the-bulkhead refit of the 25-year-old carrier and will also top off the carrier’s two nuclear reactors. The RCOH will include extensive modernization work in thousands of compartments and tanks, as well as on most ship systems, reads the contract announcement. In addition, the propulsion plant and combat systems will receive major upgrades.
Work is expected to be completed by November 2031.
Newport News Shipbuilding received a $913 million advanced procurement contract for Truman’s RCOH in January of 2024. That work is set to be completed in 2026, USNI News previously reported.
“Our team has been diligently working to get ahead on this critical engineering and construction project that will prepare USS Harry S. Truman for the second half of her service life,” Caccavale said in a separate statement. “When the ship arrives at NNS, we’ll apply that same diligence to working with our suppliers and Navy partners to ensure a successful recapitalization of CVN 75.”
The Norfolk-based carrier has been in a pierside maintenance phase since returning from deployment in June of 2025.
Built at Newport News Shipbuilding, Truman was christened in 1996 and delivered to the Navy in 1998. Truman will be the eighth Nimitz-class carrier to undergo RCOH at the Virginia shipyard.
