The US Navy’s Next Supercarriers Face Lengthy Delays

BusinessAerospace & DefenseThe US Navy’s Next Supercarriers Face Lengthy DelaysByPeter Suciu,Contributor.Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Peter Suciu covers trends in the world of aerospace and defense.Follow AuthorMay 08, 2026, 07:30pm EDT--:-- / --:--This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.The USS Enterprise CVN-80 is seen in the Newport News Shipbuilding yard on Aug. 26, 2022 (Kendall Warner/Daily Press/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)TNSThe United States Navy is likely to face continued delays with its nuclear-powered supercarriers. It is not a new problem, but it shows no signs of resolution.The USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78), the service’s newest active aircraft carrier, was delivered more than two and a half years behind its original schedule. Nine years after being commissioned in 2017, the nuclear-powered warship still requires significant upgrades and modifications to fully operate the fifth-generation Lockheed Martin F-35C Lightning II.Delivery of the second Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carrier, the future USS John F. Kennedy (CVN-79), was delayed last year from August 2025 to March 2027 to incorporate several critical upgrades. The decision was made to complete that work rather than address the modifications following delivery.Unfortunately for the U.S. Navy, the delays won’t end with CVN-79.The future USS Enterprise (CVN-80), which was to be delivered in March 2028, had its handover previously shifted to July 2030. On Friday, it was announced that the U.S. Navy won’t receive the warship until March 2031 at the earliest. That eight-month slip is an improvement over the year and a half the future USS John F. Kennedy has faced, but it is just the latest delay the service is facing with its supercarriers.As USNI News reported, the “schedule means it will take just over 12 years to build Enterprise.”The delays are set to be even worse with the futur...