US Navy Risks Carrier Fleet Gap As USS John F Kennedy Delivery Delayed By Nearly 2 Years

The United States Navy will likely experience a temporary reduction in its carrier fleet next year, as the delivery date of its newest aircraft carrier has been delayed by nearly two years to 2027.

The USS John F. Kennedy is now scheduled for delivery in March 2027, according to the Navy’s 2026 budget documents, rather than this month. The USS Nimitz, which has been in operation for over five decades, is scheduled to retire next year, effectively reducing the Navy’s aircraft carriers to 10 from 11 before the new ship is delivered.

According to the documents, the shipbuilder HII is currently working on fitting a system that helps catch aircraft landing on the carrier’s deck and the weapons elevators that help move ordnance in the ship.

The Navy said to Bloomberg News that it was “exploring opportunities for preliminary acceptance of the vessel prior to formal delivery and is coordinating closely with stakeholders to ensure the fastest possible transition to fleet operations and a combat-capable carrier.”

Retail sentiment on Stocktwits about shipbuilder HII was in the ‘bullish’ territory on Monday.

The USS John F. Kennedy, which had already been facing production delays, is part of the Ford-class aircraft carriers. USS Gerald R. Ford, the flagship carrier of the class, had also faced a delivery delay of more than two and a half years. Even Gerald R. Ford did not have weapons elevators, which were retrofitted after many years.

The budget book also said that the future USS Enterprise will be delivered in July 2030 rather than the previously projected September 2029. The Trump administration has prioritized bolstering the country’s shipbuilding capabilities and naval presence to combat China.

HII stock has gained 35.1% this year, compared with nearly 6% gains in the SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY).

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