HII lands $284.2M in contract modifications on USS JFK

Ford-class aircraft carrier will now be delivered in one phase

Published November 3, 2020 by Sydney Lake

The U.S. Navy awarded Newport News-based Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) $284.2 million in contract modifications to deliver the Ford-class aircraft carrier USS John F. Kennedy (CVN 79) to the branch, the U.S. Department of Defense announced Monday.

The delivery will be done in one phase. The Navy decided to change the two-phase delivery approach that was originally planned to comply with a fiscal 2020 National Defense Authorization Act provision that ensures ships can deploy the F-35 aircraft before efforts are made to correct any deficiencies identified during the ship’s performance testing, according to the DOD.

“We are pleased to have worked with the Navy to adopt lessons learned in the construction of USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) to improve cost, production and planning efficiencies on Kennedy,” Lucas Hicks, Newport News’ vice president of new construction aircraft carrier programs, said in a statement. “We believe that the single-phase approach ensures the most effective build plan for all remaining work and provides the best value for the Navy by supporting its ability to accelerate operational deployment of this maritime force asset.”

Kennedy is approximately 76% complete, according to HII. The ship launched in December 2019 and is undergoing additional outfitting and testing at HII’s shipbuilding division. It is scheduled to be delivered in 2024. The Navy will obligate $14 million at the time of award, according to the DOD.

HII is the nation’s largest military shipbuilding company and employs more than 42,000 people domestically and internationally.

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