Carrier’s Delivery Date Likely to Be Missed, US Navy Says

The planned July delivery of the US Navy’s newest aircraft carrier, the John F. Kennedy, is likely to be missed because of long-unresolved “critical challenges” with elevators used to move munitions from below deck and aircraft launch and recovery systems, according to new congressional testimony.

Although construction of the $12.9 billion Kennedy is 95% complete and shipbuilder HII is under contract to deliver the vessel in July, there’s “significant pressure” putting that date in doubt, Navy officials said in testimony prepared for a hearing of the Senate Armed Services seapower panel Tuesday.