[Blood of Tyrants]

The primary reason that the Kennedy was not decomissioned when her sister ship was (USS America, CV-66 and only a couple of years older), is the name. She ought to be decomissioned and the money put toward a new nuclear aircraft carrier. (The Kennedy is conventionally powered.)

[Trueblackman]

The Kennedy will likely replace the Kitty Hawk and that is why she will be 50 years old at the time of her decommissioning. I say decomission her now and bring back either the Midway or Independence, the JN took good care of both and they are in great shape in mothballs.

[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

I agree. People don't want to hear this, but nuclear power is so much better. It's much more efficient, the ship has better performance, and you don't have to refuel every 3 days like a conventional carrier. Nuclear power has a higher initial cost (installation, controls, and testing) but is cheaper over the life cycle of the ship.

[berserker]

Link to official USS JFK homepage.

[tanknetter]

The primary reason that the Kennedy was not decomissioned when her sister ship was (USS America, CV-66 and only a couple of years older), is the name. She ought to be decomissioned and the money put toward a new nuclear aircraft carrier. (The Kennedy is conventionally powered.)

That's not accurate. In order to pay for their activities in the Vietnam War the USN cut costs in a MAJOR way with America'a construction. This included using a lesser-grade steel in the hull. BIG mistake ... her hull was in extremely bad shape at the end of her life and this was the prime reason she was never scheduled for a SLEP. Indeed, even though she was significantly "newer" than Ranger and Independence she was immediately stricken off the NVR upon decommissioning, while those two older ships were maintained as CAT-B mobilization assets.

In fact, the hull is in such bad shape that the Navy won't even consider the America for donation as a museum, as opposed to Midway (San Diego is getting her), Saratoga (Quonsett, Rhode Island is trying), Forrestfire (Baltimore MD and Tampa FL are trying) and Ranger (Seattle is laying the ground work for when she's stricken).

Of course, "CAT-B" isn't all it's cracked up to be in terms of an ability to restore to active service. Ranger had her screws cut off in a SEAL exercise in the 1990s, and her rudders/stemposts removed to replace those on Kitty Hawk before the latter ship replaced Indy in Japan.