USS Ford delayed 6-8 weeks

Sea trials for the USS Ford have been delayed 6-8 weeks due to unspecified tests that are required. The ship is currently 93% complete, and the crew is living on board. The ship was delayed an unknown amount of time due to being required to perform complete shock tests. The original delivery date was March 31, 2016. The new delivery date will depend on sea trials.

Significant progress has been made towards completing the ship in recent months. EMALS testing on the bow catapults are complete, with the waist cats to be done in November, the power plants are preparing for their critical test program, the dual band radar has been tested, including the multifunction radar/volume search radar.

WASHINGTON — Delivery of the US Navy’s newest aircraft carrier, the Gerald R. Ford, is being delayed six to eight weeks, the service announced Tuesday, with more testing needed before the new ship can begin sea trials.

The Navy and its shipbuilder, Newport News Shipbuilding, had been driving to a delivery date of March 31, 2016. That has now slipped to mid- or late-May, a Navy spokesperson said, but a specific date will await the result of tests and trials.

Cmdr. Thurraya Kent, spokesperson for the Navy’s acquisition directorate, said in a statement that any costs associated with the delays are being “managed within budget and below the [congresssionally-mandated] $12.887 billion cost cap.”

Ford delays

a reply to: Zaphod58

Is this delay usual for Carriers?

a reply to: nwtrucker

Sometimes. Shock testing isn't normal for the entire hull, but delays happen. It'll be interesting to see what the tests actually are once they announce them.

6 weeks for a project like that is probably nothing and with it being the first of its kind they probably want to give it the full once over and probably a few snagging things have been found but sending some part back for a fix could be a long winded process with all the safety and verification processes that'll have to be done before it can be put back

originally posted by: Zaphod58
a reply to: nwtrucker

Sometimes. Shock testing isn't normal for the entire hull, but delays happen. It'll be interesting to see what the tests actually are once they announce them.

Isnt the ford getting the LAser CIWS?

a reply to: yuppa
The ford is going to have regular ciws. I'm pretty sure they're looking into putting it on the Kennedy though. The ship is awesome. Definitely some cool stuff to look forward to. If they work out all the kinks I wouldn't mind making it my next sea duty.