The one-of-a-kind ex-USS John F. Kennedy aircraft carrier is heading to the scrapyard, but a new JFK flattop is coming

• The ex-aircraft carrier John F. Kennedy began its final journey to the scrapyard.
• The decommissioned vessel was the last conventionally powered flattop built by the US Navy.
• The Kennedy namesake will continue with the future Ford-class nuclear-powered supercarrier.

The decommissioned aircraft carrier John F. Kennedy embarked on its final journey to be dismantled earlier this week.

The Kennedy was moored at the Navy’s Inactive Ships Maintenance Facility in Philadelphia for nearly two decades before being sold to scrap dealers for just a cent.

The Kennedy namesake will live on in the future Ford-class nuclear-powered aircraft carrier. PCU Kennedy, the second-in-class ship, is scheduled to be commissioned in 2025, three years behind schedule.