{"id":28341,"date":"2019-07-01T22:34:36","date_gmt":"2019-07-01T22:34:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/uncategorized\/2019\/07\/01\/the-navys-new-plan-to-fix-fords-elevator-failures\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T19:34:59","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T19:34:59","slug":"the-navys-new-plan-to-fix-fords-elevator-failures","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/news\/your-navy\/2019\/07\/01\/the-navys-new-plan-to-fix-fords-elevator-failures\/","title":{"rendered":"The Navy\u2019s new plan to fix Ford\u2019s elevator failures"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The Navy is vowing a \u201cfull court press\u201d to overcome delays and finally field all the Advanced Weapons Elevators<\/a> needed by the aircraft carrier Gerald R. Ford<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe have a full court press on the advanced weapons elevators,\u201d said Jim Geurts<\/a>, the assistant secretary of the Navy for research, development and acquisition in a Monday press release.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With only two of Ford\u2019s 11 elevators operating \u2014 and no firm schedule for delivering the remaining nine \u2014 the Navy brought a \u201cteam of experts\u201d from both the government and private industry on board the Ford to fix the snafus, according to Geurts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The sea service also announced Monday that officials will build a pair of testing facilities to help engineers fix problems and prep sailors to operate and maintain the elevator technology.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Navy spokesman Capt. Danny Hernandez told Navy Times on Monday that the ongoing bugs include \u201cconstruction challenges\u201d caused partly by \u201cvery tight tolerances, physical structural adjustments and software refinement\u201d needed to make \u201cweapons movement sustainable and reliable.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGetting the doors and hatches installed was not enough. There has been learning on the sequence of building them,\u201d Hernandez said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said that operations must be checked and rechecked to ensure they\u2019re \u201cworking according to specs,\u201d as when the elevators need to maintain \u201cholding water tightness\u201d as they move through the decks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDoors and hatches have to be moving in the right sequence and as you\u2019d expect. They have to be aligned,\u201d Hernandez said. \u201cMr. Geurts feels once we get the uppers and lowers working, it\u2019s just a matter of improving efficiency.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Guerts told Congress in March<\/a> that Ford\u2019s expected yearlong post-shakedown maintenance availability would be extended three months. That will delay the carrier\u2019s return to sea until October.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Officials wanted all the elevators operating before heading back to sea<\/a> so the Navy could begin to fully test the $13 billion Ford\u2019s flight deck capabilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On Monday, Geurts indicated that the team of experts, working with Huntington Ingalls Industries, will find \u201cthe most efficient timeline possible\u201d for getting Ford\u2019s elevators to work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They will identify systemic problems and \u201crecommend new design changes\u201d for the installation of the elevators on board other Ford-class carriers, he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n