NEWPORT NEWS, Va. (AP) - A shipyard in Virginia has started to flood the drydock where the second aircraft carrier in a new class of carriers has been under construction.
The Daily Press reports that Newport News Shipbuilding turned on the faucets Tuesday. The John F. Kennedy is the second ship in the Ford carrier class. The first is the USS Gerald R. Ford.
The Kennedy is scheduled to be christened on December 7.
The Ford-class carriers are designed to carry a wider variety of planes and operate with several hundred fewer sailors.
The USS Ford is years behind schedule for being ready for combat. But Navy officials and some experts have said problems are expected to arise - and be worked out - on the first ship in a new class.
