U.S. accelerates construction of USS Kennedy 2nd Ford-class aircraft carrier as USS Ford enters combat.

The United States confirmed accelerated construction of USS John F. Kennedy, CVN 79, the second Ford-class aircraft carrier, during a January 6, 2026, visit by the U.S. Secretary of War to Huntington Ingalls Industries. The carrier is now expected to be delivered and commissioned around March 2027, reflecting increased confidence following the first Ford-class carrier’s deployment to a combat role in the Caribbean.

During a January 6, 2026, visit to Huntington Ingalls Industries’ Newport News Shipbuilding facility, the U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth confirmed the Pentagon’s decision to accelerate construction of USS John F. Kennedy, CVN 79, the second aircraft carrier of the Ford-class. The ship is in its final outfitting phase and is expected to be delivered to the U.S. Navy around March 2027, aligning commissioning with a tighter schedule as Navy leadership applies operational lessons from the first Ford-class carrier’s initial combat deployment in the Caribbean.
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U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth visits HII Newport News Shipbuilding on January 6, 2025, where the Department of War announced the acceleration of construction and delivery of the Ford‑class aircraft carrier USS John F. Kennedy (CVN‑79). (Picture source: U.S. Department of War)

The U.S. Gerald R. Ford-class carrier represents the most comprehensive redesign of the U.S. Navy's nuclear-powered aircraft carrier since the introduction of the Nimitz-class in the 1970s. Although the two classes share similar dimensions, including a full load displacement of approximately 100,000 tons, an overall length of 333 meters (1,092 feet), and a beam of 78 meters (256 feet), the Ford-class introduces a fundamentally new approach to air operations, shipboard power, maintenance, and long-term adaptability to emerging systems and threats.

The Ford-class is the largest and most advanced aircraft carrier in the world, and currently the only class capable of fully integrating next-generation manned and unmanned carrier aviation under operational conditions. No other navy possesses a comparable warship in terms of tonnage, air wing size, nuclear endurance, or sortie generation rate.

China’s Type 003 Fujian aircraft carrier, launched in 2022, has a displacement of around 85,000 to 90,000 tons with a length of approximately 316 meters (1,037 feet). It introduces electromagnetic catapults similar to EMALS but has not yet reached operational deployment. Russia's Admiral Kuznetsov, currently undergoing overhaul, is conventionally powered and limited in both aircraft capacity and operational readiness. France operates the Charles de Gaulle, a nuclear-powered carrier of 42,000 tons with a length of 261 meters (856 feet), supporting about 30 to 40 aircraft. While effective in NATO operations, it is considerably smaller and less capable than the Ford-class in strike capacity, endurance, and scalability.

The most prominent improvements aboard the Ford-class include the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS) and Advanced Arresting Gear (AAG), replacing the steam-powered catapults and older hydraulic arresting systems used on the Nimitz-class. EMALS enables smoother, more controlled aircraft launches with shorter reset times and greater compatibility with a wide spectrum of aircraft weights. AAG enables safer, more flexible aircraft recovery, including the recovery of unmanned aerial systems. These systems significantly reduce the wear on airframes and increase sortie generation rates.

In practical terms, the Ford-class can generate up to 160 sorties per day under sustained operations and surge beyond 270 in high-tempo combat scenarios. The Nimitz-class, by contrast, is limited to approximately 120 sustained sorties per day, with reduced surge capacity due to slower aircraft-handling systems and steam-driven launch limitations. This increase in sortie rate reflects a broader shift in operational tempo and survivability built into the Ford-class design.

A key area of differentiation lies in the aircraft carried and the ability to support future air wing evolution. Both carrier classes are designed to accommodate a similar number of aircraft, typically around 75, but the composition and operational flexibility differ considerably.

A Nimitz-class air wing includes approximately 44 F/A-18E/F Super Hornets, five EA-18G Growlers, four E-2D Advanced Hawkeyes, six MH-60R or MH-60S Seahawk helicopters, and two C-2A Greyhound aircraft for onboard delivery. These ships were not originally designed to support unmanned systems or tiltrotor aircraft without significant structural modifications.

The Ford-class carries a similarly sized air wing but introduces native integration for unmanned platforms and tiltrotors. Its standard complement includes 44 F/A-18E/F Super Hornets (to be replaced progressively by the F-35C and Next Generation Air Dominance fighters), five EA-18G Growlers, four E-2D Advanced Hawkeyes, six MH-60R/S Seahawks, and four MQ-25 Stingray unmanned aerial refueling aircraft. The CMV-22B Osprey replaces the C-2A Greyhound for carrier onboard delivery missions. The ability to launch and recover unmanned platforms, especially in the aerial refueling role, greatly extends the strike range and endurance of the Ford-class carrier air wing.

These aviation advancements are supported by an all-new nuclear propulsion plant using two A1B reactors. Each reactor produces significantly more power than the A4W units on Nimitz-class ships, delivering over 100 megawatts of electrical power compared with roughly 30 megawatts. This excess capacity is critical for the operation of EMALS and AAG, as well as for future systems such as laser weapons, high-capacity jammers, and advanced radar arrays.

Flight deck operations have also been reengineered. The Ford-class features a more compact island structure positioned further aft, improving aircraft handling and movement across the deck. The ship’s three electromagnetic weapons elevators are faster and more reliable than those on the Nimitz, reducing arming time and improving sortie rate. Aviation fuel and weapons are routed more efficiently, supporting faster turnaround times and reduced maintenance workload.

On January 3, 2026, the USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) was confirmed to have participated in a U.S. Special Operations Forces mission off the coast of Venezuela. The carrier provided sustained ISR support, electronic warfare coordination, and rapid deployment of air assets, marking the first real-world combat deployment of the Ford-class. This milestone validated the ship’s multi-domain capabilities and its integration into joint operations.

CVN-79, the USS John F. Kennedy, will be the second operational Ford-class carrier, benefitting from key refinements based on CVN-78’s construction and operational experience. These include software improvements, elevator reliability enhancements, and system integration efficiencies. CVN-80 (Enterprise) and CVN-81 (Doris Miller) are now in phased construction, with CVN-82 and CVN-83 in the advanced planning stage.

Compared to its global counterparts, the Ford-class offers unmatched power projection, aviation capacity, and technological scalability. While China’s Fujian introduces catapult-launched aircraft capability for the PLA Navy, it lacks the nuclear endurance and global reach of U.S. supercarriers. Russia’s carrier program remains limited by maintenance issues and regional scope, and France’s single carrier, though advanced, cannot support global operations at the scale of the U.S. fleet.

The urgency behind accelerating Ford-class delivery for the U.S. Navy is rooted in this global reality. As adversaries expand their naval reach and invest in carrier aviation, the U.S. Department of Defense must ensure that its forces are not only technologically superior but also ready and forward-deployed. The Ford-class is built not only for today's fleet but for the threats of tomorrow. It enables sustained, distributed operations across contested maritime zones, supports next-generation aircraft, and brings decisive airpower to any theater within days. Rapid deployment of the Ford-class is essential to maintaining U.S. maritime dominance and ensuring that carrier strike groups remain a credible and survivable instrument of global deterrence.

Written by Alain Servaes – Chief Editor, Army Recognition Group
Alain Servaes is a former infantry non-commissioned officer and the founder of Army Recognition. With over 20 years in defense journalism, he provides expert analysis on military equipment, NATO operations, and the global defense industry.