During testing of the newest American supercarrier CVN-78 Gerald Ford, many problems with the ship were identified. Writes about this edition of Task and Puprose.
According to a report by the Office of the US Defense Secretary's Adviser for Weapons Testing and Diagnostics, the aircraft carrier was found to have problems with electromagnetic catapults, aerofinishers, weapon and radar lifters. This jeopardizes the performance of even basic functions; the CVN-78 is unsuitable for combat missions.
Based on this, the experts turned to US Secretary of Defense James Mattis with a requirement to postpone the strike tests of aircraft carriers until 2024. By this time, the second ship of the series, the aircraft carrier CVN-79 "John F. Kennedy", will be delivered.
The contract for the construction of the new aircraft carrier was signed in 2004, the official laying took place in 2009, and the launching took place in 2013. $ 12.9 billion was spent on its creation. Initially, it was planned to transfer it to the fleet in 2014, but it was delivered in 2017. The Pentagon plans to build 10 to 12 Ford-class aircraft carriers.