WASHINGTON, Jan 31 (Reuters) - The Pentagon said on Thursday it awarded Huntington Ingalls Industries Inc a $15.2 billion contract to build two nuclear-powered aircraft carriers. The U.S. Navy told lawmakers in December it intended to pursue a block purchase of two Ford-class aircraft carriers, a step officials have said could save billions of dollars as the Trump … [Read more...]
Navy Busts $12.9 Billion Spending Cap On Supercarrier
by Tony Capaccio (Bloomberg) The US Navy’s costliest vessel ever just got pricer, breaching a $12.9 billion cap set by Congress by $120 million, the service told lawmakers this week. The extra money for the U.S.S. Gerald R. Ford built by Huntington Ingalls Industries Inc. is needed to replace faulty propulsion components damaged in a January failure, extend the vessel’s … [Read more...]
Gerald R. Ford Aircraft Carrier Suffers New Failure at Sea
By Tony Capaccio (Bloomberg) -- The Gerald R. Ford, the U.S. Navy’s costliest warship, suffered a new failure at sea that forced it back to port and raised fresh questions about the new class of aircraft carriers. The previously undisclosed problem with a propulsion system bearing, which occurred in January but has yet to be remedied, comes as the Navy is poised to … [Read more...]
Navy Backs Down On Carrier Shock-Testing
By Anthony Capaccio (Bloomberg) The Pentagon’s No. 2 civilian has said the Navy should perform shock-testing soon to determine how well its new $12.9 billion aircraft carrier -- the costliest warship ever -- could withstand an attack, affirming the service’s recent decision to back down from a plan for delay. “We agree with your view that a test in normal sequence is more … [Read more...]
U.S. Navy to Commission USS Gerald R. Ford, Its First New Aircraft Carrier Design in 40 Years
The U.S. Navy is getting ready to commission its newest and most advanced aircraft carrier, the future USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78), during a ceremony this Saturday at Naval Station Norfolk in Virginia. USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) is the lead ship of the new Gerald R. Ford class, the Navy's first new aircraft carrier design in more than 40 years, and will begin the phased … [Read more...]