The New Aircraft Carrier John F. Kennedy Gets Ready To Leave Dry Dock For The First Time

ABC News: John F. Kennedy aircraft carrier gets ready to leave dry dock for the first time

Newport News Shipbuilding turned on the faucets at the dry dock where the John F. Kennedy aircraft carrier is under construction.

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — A major milestone has been reached for the nation's next nuclear-powered aircraft carrier.

Newport News Shipbuilding began to flood Dry Dock 12 on Tuesday morning, which is where the future USS John F. Kennedy (CVN-79) is being built. The Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carrier has been under construction at the shipyard since 2015.

Water began to slowly pour into the dry dock, which will take several hours to fill up to 10 feet of the ship's hull. At that point, structural integrity tests will be performed before flooding continues.

The end goal is simple: fill the dry dock enough to allow the ship to float out for the very first time.

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Update: At Newport News, the aircraft carrier John F. Kennedy hits the water (Daily Press)

WNU Editor: The Pentagon is now contemplating on streamlining how these carriers will be built .... Navy Rethinking Need For Dual-Phase Carrier Delivery (USNI News).

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