In November 2020, HII received a nine-figure modification on an earlier contract to accomplish CVN 79 "single phase delivery and Joint Strike Fighter (F-35C) capabilities" in Newport News, Virginia.[25] According to the contract announcement, the "single-phase delivery approach" is adopted "to meet both Fleet requirements and a congressional mandate of ensuring that CVN 79 is capable of operating and deploying Joint Strike Fighter (F-35C) aircraft before completing the post-shakedown availability (PSA) as codified in Section 124 of the fiscal 2020 National Defense Authorization Act (Public Law 116-92)."[25] The ship first tested her Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System in 2022,[26] and her combat system in 2023.[27] In the same year, the U.S. Navy awarded a contract worth almost $400 million to HII for upgrades to the ship's flight deck, island, and weapon systems.[28] In February 2024 HII and the Navy began dead load testing and the first sleds were shot off the deck in late February until the end of April.[29] With the extra work moved into the base construction period, starting in 2023, the delivery schedule from mid-2024 to sometime in 2025, but moves up the date when she will be in full service, because less of the otherwise extensive finishing work will be left for the post-delivery post-shakedown period.[30]
On April 8, 2025, it was announced by the Navy that the carrier's planned July delivery date would likely be missed.[31][32] The new delivery date is March 2027.[33]
