John F. Kennedy

USS John F. Kennedy (CVN-79) is the second built for the United States Navy. The ship was launched on 29 October 2019, and christened on 7 December 2019. Naming On 7 December 2007, the 66th anniversary of the Attack on Pearl Harbor, Arizona Congressman Harry Mitchell proposed naming this ship . In 2009, Arizona Congressman John Shadegg proposed naming either CVN-79 or the subsequent CVN-80 as Barry M. Goldwater, after the late U.S. Senator, also from Arizona. On 29 May 2011, the Department of Defense announced that the ship would be named for John F. Kennedy, the 35th President of the United States, who served in the navy during World War II. She will be the third navy ship named after members of the Kennedy family, and the second aircraft carrier named John F. Kennedy, succeeding , which was active from 1968 to 2007. Construction On 15 January 2009, Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding was awarded a $374 million contract for design work and construction preparation for John F. Kennedy. On 30 September 2010, Northrop Grumman announced that preparations were under way to begin construction. On 25 February 2011, the Navy conducted the First Cut of Steel ceremony at Northrop Grumman in Newport News, signalling the formal start of construction for John F. Kennedy.