USS John F. Kennedy departing Mayport, Florida, Nov. 11, 2003, escorted by tugboats. |
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| Career | |
|---|---|
| Name: | USS John F. Kennedy |
| Namesake: | John F. Kennedy |
| Awarded: | 30 April 1964[1] |
| Builder: | Newport News Shipbuilding[1] |
| Laid down: | 22 October 1964[1] |
| Launched: | 27 May 1967[1] |
| Sponsored by: | Caroline Kennedy[2] |
| Christened: | 27 May 1967 |
| Commissioned: | 7 September 1968[1] |
| Decommissioned: | 1 August 2007[1] |
| Refit: | 1984 |
| Struck: | 16 October 2009[1] |
| Motto: | Date Nolite Rogare (Latin for "Give, be unwilling to ask"; cf. "Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country") |
| Nickname: | "Big John" (unofficially: "Bldg 67") |
| Status: | On Donation Hold for use as a museum and memorial[1] |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type: | originally Kitty Hawk, became John F. Kennedy-class[3] |
| Displacement: | 60,728 tons light 82,655 tons full load 21,927 tons deadweight |
| Length: | 1,052 ft (321 m) overall, 990 ft (300 m) waterline |
| Beam: | 252 ft (77 m) extreme, 130 ft (40 m) waterline |
| Height: | 192 feet from top of the mast to the waterline |
| Draft: | 36 ft (11 m) maximum, 37 ft (11 m) limit |
| Propulsion: | 8 Babcock and Wilcox boilers 1200 PSI, 4 steam turbines, 4 shafts, 280,000 shp (210 MW) |
| Speed: | 34 knots (63 km/h) |
| Capacity: | 5,000+ |
| Complement: | 3,297 officers and men (without jet commands & crews) |
| Armament: | 2 × GMLS Mk 29 launchers for Sea Sparrow missiles 2 × Phalanx CIWS 2 × RAM launchers |
| Aircraft carried: | 80+ |
USS John F. Kennedy (CV-67) (formerly CVA-67) is a John F. Kennedy class aircraft carrier, the last conventionally powered carrier built for the United States Navy. The ship is named after the 35th President of the United States, John F. Kennedy, and is nicknamed "Big John." Kennedy was originally designated a CVA (fixed wing attack carrier); however, the designation was changed to CV to denote that the ship was capable of anti-submarine warfare, making her an all-purpose carrier.
After nearly 40 years of service in the United States Navy, Kennedy was officially decommissioned on 1 August 2007. She is berthed at the NAVSEA Inactive Ships On-site Maintenance facility in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She is available for donation as a museum and memorial to a qualified organization.[1][4] The name has been adopted by the future Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carrier John F. Kennedy (CVN-79).
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Contracted as Ship Characteristic Board SBC-127C,[5] the ship's keel was laid on 22 October 1964 by Newport News Shipbuilding. The ship was officially christened 27 May 1967 by Jacqueline Kennedy and her 9-year-old daughter, Caroline, two days short of what would have been Kennedy's 50th birthday.
John F. Kennedy entered service 7 September 1968.
John F. Kennedy is a modified version of the earlier Kitty Hawk-class aircraft carriers.[6] Originally scheduled to be the fourth Kitty Hawk-class carrier Kennedy received so many modifications during construction, she formed her own class.[3]
Kennedy was ordered as a nuclear carrier, using the A3W reactor, but converted to conventional propulsion after construction had begun because of political differences between Admiral King and Secretary McNamara.[5] The island is somewhat different from that of the Kitty Hawk class, with angled funnels to direct smoke and gases away from the flight deck. Kennedy is also 17 feet (5.2 m) shorter than the Kitty Hawk class.[5]
Kennedy's maiden voyage, and several of her subsequent voyages, were on deployments to the Mediterranean during much of the 1970s to help deal with the steadily deteriorating situation in the Middle East. It was during the 1970s that the Kennedy was upgraded to handle the F-14 Tomcat and the S-3 Viking.
In 1974, she won the Marjorie Sterrett Battleship Fund Award for the Atlantic Fleet.
On 20 June 1975 Kennedy was the target of arson, suffering eight fires, with no injuries, while at port in Norfolk, Virginia.[7]
On 22 November 1975 Kennedy collided with USS Belknap (CG-26), severely damaging the smaller ship and earning itself the nickname "Can Opener."
On 14 September 1976, while conducting a nighttime underway replenishment 100 miles north of Scotland, destroyer USS Bordelon (DD-881) lost control and collided with Kennedy, resulting in such severe damage to the destroyer that she was removed from service in 1977. Earlier the same day, one F-14 Tomcat, following a problem with the catapult, fell off of the flight deck of the John F. Kennedy, with AIM-54 Phoenix missiles in international waters, off the coast Scotland. Both crew members ejected in the last minute and landed on the deck, injured but alive.[8] A naval race (surface and submarine) followed between the Russian Navy and US Navy to get back not only the plane (because of its weapon system), but also its missiles.
In late 1978 Kennedy underwent her first, yearlong overhaul, which was completed in 1979.
On 9 April 1979 she experienced five fires set by arson while undergoing overhaul at Norfolk Naval Shipyard, Virginia. The fires killed one shipyard worker and injured 34 others.[7]
On 5 June 1979 Kennedy was the target of two more fires at Norfolk Naval Shipyard, Virginia. No one was injured in the incident.[7]
In 1979 she won her second Marjorie Sterrett Battleship Fund Award.
In 1982 the ship sailed on her ninth deployment, and her first visit to the Indian Ocean after transiting the Suez Canal. During this tour Kennedy played host to the first visit of the Somali head of state.
In October 1983 Kennedy was diverted to Beirut, Lebanon from her planned Indian Ocean deployment, after the Beirut barracks bombing killed 241 US Military personnel taking part in the Multinational Force in Lebanon, and spent the rest of that year and early 1984 patrolling the region. On 4 December 1983 ten A-6 aircraft from the Kennedy along with A-6 and A-7 aircraft from USS Independence took part in a bombing raid over Beirut, in response to two US F-14 aircraft being fired upon the previous day. The Navy lost two aircraft during the raid: an A-7E from the Independence and an A-6E from the Kennedy were shot down by SAMs. The A-7E pilot was picked up by a fishing boat, but the A-6E pilot Lt. Mark Lange was killed and the B/N Lt. Robert Goodman was taken prisoner; he was released on 3 January 1984.[6]
In 1984 the ship was drydocked at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard for a complex overhaul and much needed upgrades. Setting sail in July 1986, Kennedy participated in the International Naval Review to help mark the Re-dedication of the Statue of Liberty. Kennedy served as the flagship for the armada before departing on an overseas deployment to the Mediterranean in August — highlighted by multiple Freedom of Navigation exercises in the Libya's Gulf of Sidra, and operations off of the coast of Lebanon as a result of increasing terrorist activities and U.S. citizens being taken hostage in Beirut. The ship returned to Norfolk, Va in March 1987.
In August 1988 Kennedy departed on her twelfth overseas deployment. During this deployment, a pair of MiG-23 'Flogger E' fighter-bombers from Libya approached the carrier task force, which was 130 km off the shore of Libya near the declared Libyan territorial waters of the Gulf of Sidra. Kennedy launched two F-14 Tomcats from VF-32 "Fighting Swordsmen" to intercept the incoming MiGs. The U.S. planes were sent to escort the MiGs away from the task force, but a shooting match between the U.S. and Libyan aircraft developed, and both of the Libyan aircraft were shot down.
Kennedy returned to the U.S. in time to participate in Fleet Week in New York and Independence Day celebrations in Boston before unexpectedly being mobilized in August 1990 for Operation Desert Shield. Despite having little to no warning, Kennedy prepared for her deployment overseas, where she arrived in September 1990 and became the flagship for the commander of the Red Sea Battle Force. On 16 January 1991 Kennedy's Carrier Air Wing 3 commenced operations against Iraqi forces as part of Operation Desert Storm. Between the commencement of the operation and the cease-fire, Kennedy launched 114 airstrikes and nearly 2,900 sorties against Iraq, which delivered over 3.5 million pounds of ordnance.
On 27 February 1991 President George H. W. Bush declared a cease-fire in Iraq, and ordered all U.S. forces to stand down. Kennedy was relieved, and began the long journey home by transiting the Suez Canal. She arrived in Norfolk on 28 March 1991. While at Norfolk the ship was placed on a four-month selective restricted-availability period as shipyard workers carried out maintenance. Extensive repairs to the flight deck, maintenance and engineering systems were made. Additionally, the ship was refitted to handle the new F/A-18C/D Hornet.
With the upgrades completed, Kennedy departed on her 14th deployment to the Mediterranean, assisting several task forces with workup exercises in anticipation of intervention in Yugoslavia. When Kennedy returned she was sent to the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard, where she underwent a two year extensive overhaul. Upon completion of the overhaul the ship was transferred to the Mayport Naval Station near Jacksonville, Florida, which remained the ship's home port.
The JFK made a high-profile visit to Dublin, Ireland during an Atlantic deployment in 1996. Here, more than 10,000 people were invited to tour the ship at anchor in Dublin Bay. The visit was also intended to honor two personalities who had made a great impact on history: John F. Kennedy, for whom the ship was named, and Commodore John Barry, a native of County Wexford, Ireland who played an instrumental role in the early years of the United States Navy. Officers and crew from the Kennedy joined local military and civilian organizations in celebrating Barry's achievements at his statue in Crescent Quay, Wexford, and three F-14 Tomcat fighters flew at low level over the town. Jean Kennedy Smith, a sister of John F. Kennedy, was the U.S. ambassador to Ireland at the time, and was among those who welcomed the ship to Ireland.
During her visit to Ireland, high winds in Dublin Bay caused the boarding pontoon to tear a large hole in the JFK's hull.
Kennedy's 15th Mediterranean deployment was uneventful, and she returned in time to participate in Fleet Week '98 in New York City.
During Kennedy's 16th deployment, she became involved in a rescue mission when the tug Gulf Majesty foundered during Hurricane Floyd in mid-September 1999. The ship successfully rescued the crew of the vessel, then headed toward the Middle East, where she became the first U.S. aircraft carrier to make a port call in Al Aqabah, Jordan, in the process playing host to the King of Jordan, before taking up station in support of Operation Southern Watch.
Kennedy was the only conventionally-powered U.S. carrier underway at the end of 1999, arriving at Mayport on 19 March 2000. After a brief period of maintenance, the carrier sailed north to participate in the July 4 International Naval Review (see also Naval review), then headed to Boston for Sail Boston 2000.
During Kennedy's last round of refits the ship became a testbed for an experimental system for the Cooperative Engagement Capability, a system that allowed Kennedy to engage targets beyond original range.
In 2001, during a pre-deployment trial, Kennedy was found to be severely deficient in some respects, especially those relating to air group operations; most problematic, two aircraft catapults and three aircraft elevators were non-functional during inspection, and two boilers would not light. As a result, her captain and two department heads were relieved for cause.
As the September 11, 2001 attacks unfolded, Kennedy and her battle group were ordered to support Operation Noble Eagle, establishing air security along the mid-Atlantic seaboard, including Washington, D.C. JFK was released from Noble Eagle on 14 September 2001.[6]
During the first six months of 2002, Kennedy aircraft dropped 31,000 tons of ordnance on Taliban and al Qaeda targets.[6]
In July 2004 Kennedy collided with a dhow in the Persian Gulf, leaving no survivors on the traditional Arab sailing boat.[9] After the incident the Navy relieved the commanding officer of the Kennedy, Capt. Stephen B. Squires. The carrier itself was unscathed, but two jet fighters on the deck were damaged when one slid into the other as the ship made a hard turn to avoid the tiny vessel. A popular misconception is that Capt. Squires waited to make the turn at the last possible moment to recover aircraft critically low on fuel returning from airstrikes. The official review board determined this was not the case and the aircraft could have remained safely aloft until the Kennedy maneuvered to avoid the dhow.[10]
Kennedy was the most costly carrier in the fleet to maintain and was due for an expensive overhaul; budget cutbacks and changing naval tactics prompted the U.S. Navy to retire her.[11] On 1 April 2005 the Navy formally announced that the carrier's scheduled 15-month overhaul had been cancelled.[12]
Before decommissioning she made a number of port calls to allow the public to "say farewell" to her, including a stop at her "homeport" Boston Harbor.[13] The Kennedy also took part in the 2005 New York City Fleet Week festivities at the Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum.[14] She was decommissioned in Mayport, Florida on 23 March 2007.[15]
The ship's unique in-port cabin, which was decorated by Jacqueline Kennedy with wood paneling, oil paintings, and rare artifacts, was disassembled, to be rebuilt at the National Museum of Naval Aviation at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida.[16]
The Kennedy was towed to Norfolk, Virginia on 26 July 2007. She remained in Norfolk until a shoaled area near Pier 4 in Philadelphia could be dredged to enable the ship to safely dock. On 17 March 2008 at about 1700, she was seen leaving Norfolk Naval Station under tow of the Tug Atlantic Salvor. On 22 March 2008 Kennedy arrived, with the afternoon high tide, at the Naval Inactive Ship Maintenance Facility in Philadelphia.[17] She is currently laid up in the Philadelphia reserve fleet .[18]
In November 2009, the Navy placed the Kennedy on donation hold for use as a museum and memorial.[19] A report that showed up in the Boston Herald newspaper on 26 November 2009 mentioned the possibility of bringing the Kennedy to the Boston, MA area, as a museum or memorial at no cost to the city, if desired.[20]
In August 2010, two groups successfully passed into Phase II of the U.S. Navy Ship Donation Program:[21]
On 19 January 2011 the Portland, Maine City Council voted 9–0 to not continue with the project to bring the ship to Maine.[24]
| International radio call sign of USS John F. Kennedy (CV-67)[21] |
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| November | Juliet | Foxtrot | Kilo |
In the popular TV Drama The West Wing during the seventh episode The State Dinner, a hurricane heading to Georgia changes its course in the Atlantic Ocean where the USS John F Kennedy is positioned and has about 12,000 men on board.
In the 2009 American science-fiction disaster film 2012, the USS John F. Kennedy is depicted during a scene showing the destruction of Washington D.C. The carrier clearly is seen crashing into the White House riding on top of a megatsunami caused by a 9.4 magnitude earthquake.
The USS John F. Kennedy is also seen in the movie "Speed 2" with Sandra Bullock. It was on a port call at St. Martin Island in 1997 when "Speed 2" was being filmed. It is also seen in the movie "G.I. Jane" staring Demi Moore. "G.I. Jane" was filmed near the USS Kennedy's home port of Jacksonville, Florida in 1997.
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