As Gerald R. Ford nears delivery, two big hurdles remain: The Navy's newest carrier is on track for its March 31, 2015, delivery. But significant hurdles remain with the ship's catapults and its arresting gear, which will receive intensive scrutiny and testing for the remainder of the year.
Construction of the first-of-class Gerald R. Ford is 89 percent complete, Rear Adm. Thomas Moore, program executive officer carriers, told reporters March 19. Most of what remains is finish work. However, the test program is only 37.5 percent complete and, though on schedule, this will be the focus in the coming year.
Two technical issues will receive the bulk of attention. First is the electromagnetic aircraft launch system, or EMALS, which replaced the steam-powered catapult system. It is "ahead of the curve," Moore said. Two of four catapults are built. The ship will launch dead loads (weighted sleds) into the James River in June.
And then there is the advanced arresting gear, arguably the source of most headaches during the carrier's construction. The system could manage only 20 arrests between failures – a rate 248 times higher than should be expected, according to an April 2014 Congressional Research Service report. This led to a major redesign of the water-twister, which absorbs about 70 percent of the energy during a landing.
Testing of the upgraded AAG will continue in Lakehurst, New Jersey, even as the system is installed on the carrier. That means more fixes could be required after installation — a situation Moore described as "not optimal," but a risk that builders have to accept at this point because the system is about two-years behind.
