The U.S. Navy’s next Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carrier, the USS John F. Kennedy (CVN-79), has begun its first shipbuilder sea trials, a major step toward its planned delivery in March 2027. According to Business Insider, the shipbuilder’s sea trials are designed to evaluate the vessel’s core systems and overall performance at sea before it is formally delivered to the U.S. Navy. The USS John F. Kennedy is the second carrier in the Ford class, following the USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78), and is expected to incorporate lessons learned from the technical and scheduling challenges that affected the lead ship. Design changes and lessons from USS Gerald R. Ford The Kennedy has benefited from design and production changes introduced after problems emerged on the USS Gerald R. Ford. Supercarrier capacity pressures and strategic context The start of sea trials comes as the U.S. Navy faces mounting pressure on its aircraft carrier fleet.