The last conventionally powered aircraft carrier in the U.S. Navy, the USS John F. Kennedy (CV 67) is on its way to being scrapped.
The ship, which has been in a Navy shipyard since August 2007, began its final voyage to Bronsville, Texas, on Thursday.
Named after the Democratic president who was assassinated in 1963, the USS John F. Kennedy was commissioned in September 1968 and marked the end of gas turbine-powered aircraft carriers, which were replaced by nuclear power starting with the USS Enterprise (CVN-65).
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Although part of the Kitty Hawk class, CV 67 has undergone several modifications to the point of being considered a sub-class of aircraft carriers.
In its nearly 40 years in service, the aircraft carrier has roamed the oceans and seas performing hundreds of missions, including moments of tension in the Middle East and North Africa.
After the terrorist attack in September 2001, the USS John F. Kennedy conducted air patrols along the East Coast of the United States as part of Operation Noble Eagle.
The following year, CV 67 sailed to the Middle East to support Operations Anaconda and Enduring Freedom, in addition to participating in Operation Irai Freedom in July 2004.
Faster trip
“Former John F. Kennedy will always be remembered as a symbol of enduring freedom and a beacon of hope and peace during difficult times in our nation,” said Rear Adm. Bill Greene, Director, Surface Ship Maintenance, Modernization and Sustainment.
The USS John F. Kennedy and the USS Kitty Hawk (CV 63) were sold by the Navy in October 2021 to a private shipyard for one cent each. The symbolic value is explained by the costs of towing them to the dismantling site, where the company will profit from part of the material.
Unlike the Kitty Hawk, which had to go around South America in 2022, the John F. Kennedy will make a faster trip through the Gulf of Mexico.
There is no known time frame for the dismantling services to be completed.
