An issue with the propulsion system during critical test and evaluations operations forced the Navy’s newest aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, back into port after just three days at sea.
The carrier had left its birth at Naval Station Norfolk on May 19, but was back in port on May 22.
It will return to Newport News Shipbuilding in mid-July for the upgrades.
“As a first-in-class platform, USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) has been tasked with conducting critical test and evaluation operations to identify any construction and design issues,” said William Couch, from the Office of Corporate Communication for Naval Sea Systems Command. “As a continuation of that testing and evaluation process, Gerald R. Ford got underway May 19 to conduct an independent steaming event that would allow the ship and its crew to continue testing its systems and procedures.”
Couch said the ship experienced a propulsion system issue associated with a recent design change, requiring a return to homeport for adjustments before resuming at-sea testing.
“The issue was mechanical in nature and does not involve either of the ship’s reactors,” he added. “Prior to getting underway, tests were successfully conducted pierside on the ship’s systems. However, this design modification could not be completely retested pierside.”
The carrier is the Navy’s newest. It took 12 years to build at a cost of nearly $13 billion. It’s likely to be another two or three years before the carrier is ready for deployment.
“Now that the ship is in Norfolk, adjustments will be made, and the crew anticipates returning to sea as soon as possible – likely days – before beginning the ship’s post-shakedown availability,” Couch said. “The ship is still scheduled to undergo a planned post-shakedown availability beginning in summer 2018 at Newport News Shipbuilding.”
He said that since its delivery to the Navy on May 31 of last year, the carrier has operated for more than 70 days at sea during seven independent steaming events supported by in-port windows of opportunity.
It has completed 747 shipboard aircraft launches and recoveries against a plan of approximately 400 and has successfully completed fixed-wing aircraft/helicopter integration and compatibility testing, air traffic control center certification, JP-5 fuel system certification, daytime underway replenishment capability demonstration, ship’s defensive system demonstration, Dual Band Radar testing, and propulsion plant operations.
“As a first-in-class ship, some level of issues is to be expected. Things will not always go as planned or designed. If anything, events like this prove that the testing and evaluation process works,” Couch added.
