Delaware
A decommissioned Naval aircraft carrier will pass through the Delaware Bay Thursday
The ex-USS John F. Kennedy, a decommissioned U.S. Navy aircraft carrier, will travel down the Delaware Bay Thursday on its way to Texas for dismantling.
The ship left the Navy Yard in Philadelphia around 10 a.m. Thursday and is expected to reach the Delaware Bay around 1:30 p.m., roughly. Delawareans can best view it from Fox Point State Park or Battery Park in New Castle.
The John F. Kennedy, commissioned in 1968, was the first to be named for the 35th President of the United States and the last “conventionally powered” aircraft carrier built by the Navy, a Naval Sea Systems news release said.
The ship had 18 deployments during a period of escalating tension in the Middle East and North Africa, and often while under the surveillance of Soviet ships, the release said.
More recently, it was used for air security along the mid-Atlantic after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
In 2002, it was deployed in support of Operations Anaconda and Enduring Freedom, and in 2004, in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, the release said. Before being removed from service in 2007, the ship served as a training platform.
(This story has been updated to better reflect the time the ship is expected to arrive in Delaware.)
Shannon Marvel McNaught reports on southern Delaware and beyond. Reach her at smcnaught@gannett.com or on Twitter @MarvelMcNaught.