Monday, February 24, 2014

USS Ford, First Ford Class Carrier Ready for Testing

The Navy is pressing forward with the Ford-class aircraft carrier’s massive 26 month test and technology integration test despite criticisms about cost-growth and poor technical reliability coming from watchdogs and analysts.

Navy developers have expressed confidence in the platform and its many new technologies despite criticism from lawmakers, analysts and government watchdog groups such as the Government Accountability Office and the Director, Operational Test and Evaluation.

Regarding the cost-growth criticisms, Navy officials emphasize that $3.3 billion of the ship’s $12.8 billion in costs are one-time, non-recurring engineering costs because the USS Ford is the first in a new class of aircraft carriers. Officials say cost-saving methods and lessons learned during the Ford’s construction are now being applied to the building of the next Ford-class carrier, the USS Kennedy.


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