{"id":22824,"date":"2018-11-28T19:19:27","date_gmt":"2018-11-28T19:19:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2018\/11\/28\/why-the-navy-thinks-the-carrier-gerald-r-ford-will-work-after-all\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T18:59:04","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T18:59:04","slug":"why-the-navy-thinks-the-carrier-gerald-r-ford-will-work-after-all","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/naval\/2018\/11\/28\/why-the-navy-thinks-the-carrier-gerald-r-ford-will-work-after-all\/","title":{"rendered":"Why the Navy thinks the carrier Gerald R. Ford will work after all"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The technology glitches plaguing the aircraft carrier Gerald R. Ford<\/a>, lead ship of the Navy\u2019s next generation of flattops, are getting fixed, officials told lawmakers during a Tuesday hearing on Capitol Hill.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The combination punch of good news at the Senate Armed Services’ Seapower Subcommittee included testimony that the Navy has recorded significant cost savings during the building of the John F. Kennedy, the next Ford-class carrier, and is prepping to purchase two similar flattops in fiscal 2020.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pressed by Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., on possible problems with the Ford\u2019s advanced weapons elevators, James F. Geurts<\/a> \u2014 assistant secretary of the Navy for research, development and acquisition \u2014 predicted the Ford would leave the Newport News Shipbuilding yard<\/a> with a working system for delivering ordnance to the flight deck.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI would say of all of the technologies on the CVN 78, of which there were many we proved out on this lead ship, the weapons elevator is the last one that we need to get tied up and work our way through,\u201d Geurts said. \u201cWe are making progress to get through all the elevators during this availability.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Ford has 11 weapons elevators and each must be built, tested and certified separately, Geurts explained.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe first two of them have been produced \u2014 the first one has been through test and certification and the second one is about 94 percent through testing,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pushed harder by Kaine on whether they would be fully operational, Geurts said the \u201ccurrent assessment is we\u2019ll get through all of the production and much of the testing\u201d but might face some lingering \u201ccertification issues.” He pledged to monitor the process \u201cvery closely.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Navy officials say that most of the bugs have been worked out with the Electro Magnetic Aircraft Launch System and other new technologies onboard the new aircraft carrier Gerald R. Ford. (photo by Mark D. Faram\/Staff)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Ford has long been a source of disgruntlement<\/a> to President Donald J. Trump, who repeatedly has bashed the carrier\u2019s Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System, or EMALS, which is replacing traditional steam-powered catapults.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a Thanksgiving call to Capt. Pat Hannifin, the commanding officer of the Nimitz-class carrier Ronald Reagan while it was visiting Hong Kong, Trump asked the skipper to compare his warship to the Ford<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cTell me about the catapult,\u201d Trump said. \u201cOn Gerald Ford, they don\u2019t use steam, which is the first one that I\u2019ve ever heard of that doesn\u2019t use steam. And I know they have some difficulties, which I\u2019m not happy about, and they spent a lot of money. And I was just curious \u2014 the steam system is tried and true for many, many years, as long as we\u2019ve had aircraft carriers, how do you find steam versus what they\u2019re doing on the Gerald Ford, which is electronic and digital, if you can believe it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\t