USS John F. Kennedy supercarrier
The USS John F. Kennedy is the second Gerald R. Ford class aircraft carrier, the U.S. Navy’s newest and the largest, most advanced warship ever constructed
PLANNED FORD-CLASS WARSHIPS
Delivery
USS Enterprise
USS Doris Miller
USS William J. Clinton
USS George W. Bush
CVN-80
CVN-81
CVN-82
CVN-83
2030
2032
2040
2043
Under construction
Planned
AIRCRAFT TYPES
F-35C Lightning II
F-35C stealth fighter jets
USS Gerald R. Ford CVN-78 entered service in 2017 without support for F-35C
F/A-18E/F Super Hornet fighters
E-2D Advanced Hawkeye airborne early warning
EA-18 Growler electronic warfare
MH-60R/S Seahawk helicopters
Island: Aft locationgives more roomfor aircraft. Includesflat-panel arrayradar systems anddual-band radar
Flight deck: Can handle up to 220missions per day. Aircraft launchedby electromagnetic catapult
Flight deck incorporates three aircraft elevators
Propulsion: Twin A1B nuclear reactors, capable of producing 300MW each. Speed: 30+ knots
Technology: AN/SPY-6 electronically scanned array, AN/SPY-3 air search radar, AN/SPQ-9B surface search radar
Weapons: Evolved Sea Sparrow missilelaunchers, Rolling Airframe Missile (RAM)launchers, Phalanx rapid-fire guns 
AIRCRAFT CARRIER COMPARISON
Commissioned
Displacement
Flight deck width
Crew
Number of aircraft
USS John F. Kennedy CVN-79 (Ford-class)
Expected March 2027
101,600 tonnes
78m
4,660
Up to 90
USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (Nimitz-class)
1977
88,000 tonnes
76.8m
5,680
Approx 65+
Nimitz-class
Flight deck area
18,200 sq m
John F. Kennedy
18,943 sq m
Length: 337m
Sources: Naval Technology, U.S. Naval Air Forces
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