January 28, 2026 — The newest aircraft carrier of the United States Navy, USS John F. Kennedy (CVN-79), departed the Newport News Shipbuilding facilities on Tuesday to begin the so-called builder’s sea trials — sea trials conducted by the shipyard prior to the vessel’s official delivery to the fleet. During this initial phase, the ship’s main systems and components will be evaluated in real sea operations for the first time. Planned trials include checks of propulsion, power generation, navigation, communications, and overall platform performance, a critical step to validate the aircraft carrier’s technical readiness. According to the company, the departure for sea trials represents a decisive advance in the program’s schedule. After the completion of the builder’s sea trials, the ship will still undergo additional evaluations and any necessary adjustments before moving on to the final stages preceding its official commissioning into the United States Navy.