The timely arrival of the Gerald R. Ford carrier strike group appears to be critical for U.S. interests.
Based on several issues impacting some of the advanced systems onboard the USS Gerald R. Ford, the American aircraft carrier may not commence its scheduled summer deployment on time. To make matters worse for the Navy’s newest carrier-class, congressional testimony has revealed that the delivery of the second Ford ship, USS John F. Kennedy, will be delayed due to various challenges. Considering the threat climate in the Middle East arena and the recent departure of USS Harry S. Truman from the scene, the timely arrival of the Gerald R. Ford carrier strike group (CSG 12) appears to be critical for U.S. interests.
This week, after participating in the NATO-led Neptune 25-1 military exercise, the Harry S. Truman and its accompanying warships are wrapping up an eventful eight-month-long deployment and headed back toward homeport in Norfolk, Virginia. USS Carl Vinson will remain in the region and is expected to be joined down the line by USS Gerald R. Ford. However, the advanced new carrier is experiencing some growing pains, which may end up impacting its deployment timeline. According to the latest report from the Pentagon’s Director of Operational Test & Evaluation (DOT&E), the Ford’s electromagnetically actuated launch and recovery gear have particularly caused concern. “The reliability of CVN 78 catapults, arresting gear, and jet blast deflectors (JBDs) continues to have an adverse effect on sortie generation and flight operations efficiency,” noted DOT&E in an annual report released earlier this year, “The ongoing reliability problems with these critical subsystems remains the primary risk to the successful completion of CVN 78 [initial operational testing and evaluation].”
Unlike the Nimitz-class carriers’ steam-operated catapults, this sophisticated new design relies on the electromagnetic aircraft launch system (EMALS). This take-off/land design, in addition to an Advanced Arresting Gear (AAG), is what is meant to set the Ford-class carriers apart from their predecessors. With EMALS and AAG in place, the Ford ships are capable of launching 25 percent more sorties in addition to generating triple the amount of electrical power. Additionally, the Ford carriers are powered by the new Bechtel A1B reactor, which is more powerful than the A4W reactors that power the Nimitz ships. Hopefully, the issues surrounding EMALS can be rectified before the Ford’s regularly scheduled deployment this summer.
The introduction of the John F. Kennedy (CVN-79) will be the Navy’s next big effort. However, shipbuilding issues, ranging from budgetary constraints to staff shortfalls, continue to plague the service’s next-generation programs across the board. While the John F. Kennedy is reportedly nearly 95 percent complete in terms of construction, “critical path challenges” like EMALS and the carrier’s Advanced Weapons Elevators may push this timeline back, according to a joint statement issued before the Seapower Subcommittee of the Senate Armed Services Committee last month. Until the Ford ships are officially introduced to service, the Nimitz carriers will continue to represent American power projection out at sea. As proven by the Harry S. Truman’s contributions to the anti-Houthi effort in the Red Sea, the Nimitz ships are more than capable of holding down the fort in the meantime.
About the Author: Maya Carlin
Maya Carlin, National Security Writer with The National Interest, is an analyst with the Center for Security Policy and a former Anna Sobol Levy Fellow at IDC Herzliya in Israel. She has by-lines in many publications, including The National Interest, Jerusalem Post, and Times of Israel. You can follow her on Twitter: @MayaCarlin. Carlin has over 1,000 articles published over the last several years on various defense issues.
Image: DVIDS.
