Oct. 13 was the U.S. Navy’s 251st birthday and also marked a milestone for John F. Kennedy (CVN 79). The aircraft carrier recovered its first aircraft, an F-35C Lightning II, attached to the “Salty Dogs” of Air Test and Evaluation Squadron (VX) 23. This was the first F-35C recovery aboard a Ford-class aircraft carrier.

Newport News Shipbuilding achieved preliminary acceptance of CVN 79 late last month, following successful acceptance sea trials in August.

Check out CVN 79’s Facebook or Instagram pages to see a video of the milestone aircraft recovery.