First Ford Class Carrier Readies for Launch

AT a cost of $12.9 Billion this is what you get!


From Military.com
www.military.com...

The USS Gerald R. Ford, the nation's first Ford Class aircraft carrier, is readying for christening on Nov. 9 and a rigorous set of tests and evaluations after that. The 77,000-ton, next-generation carrier is slated for 27 months of assessments before it's commissioned for service in 2016, service officials said. "This is going to the most challenging and integrated test program the Navy has ever faced," said Rear Adm. Tom Moore, Program Executive Officer, Carriers. "Ford has a level of integration that no other ship has ever had. Because the ship is all electric, almost every system on that ship is integrated in some way."

Incredible amount of new and untested technology so sea trials over the next 27 months should be interesting.

P.S. The price tag does not include aircraft (F35C's Which may or may not be ready when she is commissioned)

Kukri
AT a cost of $12.9 Billion this is what you get!


From Military.com
www.military.com...

The USS Gerald R. Ford, the nation's first Ford Class aircraft carrier, is readying for christening on Nov. 9 and a rigorous set of tests and evaluations after that. The 77,000-ton, next-generation carrier is slated for 27 months of assessments before it's commissioned for service in 2016, service officials said. "This is going to the most challenging and integrated test program the Navy has ever faced," said Rear Adm. Tom Moore, Program Executive Officer, Carriers. "Ford has a level of integration that no other ship has ever had. Because the ship is all electric, almost every system on that ship is integrated in some way."

Incredible amount of new and untested technology so sea trials over the next 27 months should be interesting.

P.S. The price tag does not include aircraft (F35C's Which may or may not be ready when she is commissioned)

edit on 11/8/2013 by Kukri because: added P.S.

The feds are printing 85 billion dollars a month. you can buy 6.5 of these ships a month! This puts in perspective how dangerous the feds printing presses are.

Carriers are one of the few investments in this area that I think are worth every last dollar spent on them. They do far more than just combat operations and many a nation has been eternally grateful to see a U.S. Carrier Battlegroup steam into view. It means aid, medical attention and evacuation options in almost any disaster, almost anywhere in the world. That alone makes it worth near that price...with legitimate defense issues more than making the rest.

Unlike a foreign base, a Carrier doesn't need local lease agreements, status of forces agreements, give/take deals that usually see us being taken to be given anything at all..and all at ongoing rates to break our bank.

I'm proud to see the latest class of vessel heading to sea. Lets hope the new Catapult system works. After all, that is what we bought for 12 Billion dollars. The ship? They threw that in free.

There's a lot of new technologies in this class....new nuclear reactors, electromagnetic catapults, new radar and defensive missiles, etc. It is also supposed to be substantially easier to upgrade due to its modular interior in certain areas. I think part of the $12.9 billion includes design costs for the entire class. It's also supposed to sail with about 8 or 900 fewer sailors, estimated to save $4 billion over the lifetime of the ship. I think the cost is worth it just to maintain the manufacturing base.

marvelous vessel expensive yes but once any issues found during trials are ironed out the use it and
its carrier group can be put to project the best the united states has to offer on good will or humanitarian visits
(combat missions aside)
should make any american proud.

i once and only once saw the USS Enterprise at anchor in the solent
( off the south coast of england for those who don't know )

and it was a truly magnificent sight made my whole week you folks are lucky to have such incredible
machines at your disposal.

reply to post by Kukri


It's just a pity thist next-gen lady wasn't part of Westlant Deployment.
Maybe we'll hear a little about her performance in upcomming joint manouvers.
I'm curious if U32 can get a peek under her skirt too

Just what the ^&*()$ doctor ordered.....even better force projection with fewer sailors and more electronic nightmares.....
The cost could have provided 12 new destr0yers of the latest british class.......
Or perhaps fed every kid in America a quite a few good wholesome meals.....

reply to post by Kukri


Sic em Fido.

Thanks. Interesting.

I hope they wait to schedule WW3 until this is fully functional.

Sigh.

The Gerald R. Ford:
The only carrier in History to trip over a wave and let the bad guys get away. (warren commission)
Successor to the Nixon class that left service in shame.

I think we have enough carriers already.

For those too young to remember:

reply to post by camaro68ss


Another perspective is that these Carriers last 40+ years.

Thus making the initial cost only around $300 million a year.

its optimistic to amortize a war machine no?

in any case it sure explains the creation of so many ememies to justify the profits...oooops sorry costs

eta
I also love how they named a ship with this much integration after a president who was typified by comics with a step by step flip chart on how to walk and chew gum at the same time...

As Minority Leader in the House, Ford appeared in a popular series of televised press conferences with famed Illinois Senator Everett Dirksen, in which they proposed Republican alternatives to Johnson's policies. Many in the press jokingly called this "The Ev and Jerry Show."[50] Johnson said at the time, "Jerry Ford is so dumb he can't fart and chew gum at the same time."[51] The press, used to sanitizing LBJ's salty language, reported this as "Gerald Ford can't walk and chew gum at the same time."

en.wikipedia.org...

this from the 1974 biography President Ford: the man and his record [Ford's] attitude inspired President Johnson to make the cutting but quotable comments that Ford had played too much football without a helmet and that he was unable to walk and chew gum at the same time.

english.stackexchange.com...

this money would better have been spent on health care

reply to post by Asktheanimals


The ones we have are wearing out though. Enterprise is already retired, Nimitz is next, after the second of the Ford class comes online.

Yes...I see the USS Gerald R. Ford several times a week when I ride in to work. She is up in 12 dock and soon enough will be waterborn out in the James River. The dock has been flooded for some time now as they do the below the water line checks of the hundreds of sea valves normally below this water line.
I have watched her come up out of the drydock over the years. The very same drydock where were born the Nimitz class ships.

On the other end of this shipyard is the USS Enterprise. A sad sight as compared to her younger days. She is considerably dismanltled even unto holes cut in her decks where certain machinery has been or is being removed. But she is the first of a breed or nuclear powered carriers..the prototype for all of them. Still ..it is sad to see her in in this shape and for the final time.
You still see many pictures/photos of the USS Enterprise all over this yard in her younger days. She made a name for this yard in carrier construction.

I am in no hurry so see or keep up with the USS Gerald R. Ford as there will be plenty of time for that . There is alot of work still to be done on the Nimitz class carriers.


With the USS Gerald R. Ford...will be a period of work and difficulties to overcome...as there is alot of new design equipment and machinery. This is standard with any ship or airplane..even tanks etc..with new gear on it. The bugs will need to be worked out. Laboratory test conditions are not always what you have out at sea.

One thing of interest to me to see about the USS Enterprise and her updates before going out on her last cruise..when she was in this yard was I saw that she had been fitted out with computers in the machinery spaces. Ships logs are taken on computers..not clipboards with paper as was done in the olde days.
I was a bit startled to see a Tough Book type computer in a mount and it had a crack completely across the screen..diagonal. But it still worked and people were using it. This is one of the few times I had ever seen one of these tough books operating and up close. I reckon that is why they are called tough books. It looked in rough shape..but kept on ticking ..as the saying goes.

This computer system has been retro fitted into alot of todays navy ships...replacing the olde paper logs.
No doubt that this system is installed from the beginning in the USS Gerald R. Ford.

Pieces/assemblies for the next carrier are being built all over this yard as well.

I don't know how much you people think about the true nature of a thing..but if you think about it.....

There is a carrier at all times in a shipyard for a major refit and refueling. This is a three to four year process.
One to two carriers in a yard all the time for a minor refit..of a year or more. That is three carriers down...out of ten...not ready to go to sea.

One in usually for some kind of minor or emergency repair..

You are now down to six carriers to do the work assigned to them.

One carrier is more worn out than the others..usually the oldest. That is five carriers.

All of them are actually wearing out...just at different paces.
The logs and documents on their conditions are kept all the time and it is obvious which carriers are spending more time in the yards verses on the ready line.

What this means ...economically and politically ..is that you must be building at least one carrier all the time to replace and maintain your fleet.

So when you hear Washington DC in all its uber intelligence..bragging and boasting about how much a carrier costs...and we need to do this or that...or get rid of them all together...you eventually realize that our leadership is playing politics of the cheapest kind with the true informations.
They are being predators on the public ignorance about conditions out here. And for political reasons.
How do I know this...because whenever something in the world reaches critical mass..politically..what is one of the first questions asked at the table...????

"Where are the carriers and how many are ready??"

Every day ..24/7..someone in the Navy is crunching informations..on every navy ship...those on the ready line...those needing parts...personel...supplies..all in coded message traffic..to know the status of every navy ship...in the world. Not just the carriers but the support ships as well.

Don't let those Washington DC politicians deceive and parasite on your fears and insecurities. They have to be building at least one carrier all the time to keep and maintain their commitments.

And they are building at least one submarine all the time as well.

Also they must needs build and maintain the other support ships..right down to supply ships and oilers...to keep and maintain a fleet.

It is a huge ..huge logistical problem but someone is trying to keep it straight..right down to the last button.

Dont let them deceive you about this...the invesement in politics is also often about keeping you ..the public ignorant and on their treadmill.
Teach yourself to get off the treadmill...or hit the off button on the phony news media. All of it. They will set the hook and reel you in if you let them.
That is obvious by some of the posts on here.

You folks who tend towards ragging on Jerald R. Ford...Wow!!

It is not the name on the ship...it is the crew who make the difference!! Jerald R. Ford was not my favorite president as well. You folks need to think that through alot closer. You are letting history and drama reel you in.



Thanks,
Orangetom

I work on the Enterprise right now. Im a nuke taking care of decomming her. The Ford is over at the pier next to me and looks really interesting. Looking at it side by side on my carrier, its really just an astonishing difference. Orangetom, did not know you worked in the shipyard. Thats pretty cool. Maybe I'll see you around sometime. Anyway, the Enterprise is truly depressing to look at. After doing a crazy workup cycle in 2010, then back to back deployments that ship is like my second home. Up until recently I'm pretty sure I spent more time on the ship than I did at my house. So its really sad to see her go and help take her apart.

Back on topic. Im probably gonna walk over to the Ford probably this week and take a tour. I'll report back with any cool stuff. Some of my buddies have gone over there and looked at it and said it is HUGE!! The plants are really really cool, but thats stuff I cant post on here.

truttseeker
I work on the Enterprise right now. Im a nuke taking care of decomming her. The Ford is over at the pier next to me and looks really interesting. Looking at it side by side on my carrier, its really just an astonishing difference. Orangetom, did not know you worked in the shipyard. Thats pretty cool. Maybe I'll see you around sometime. Anyway, the Enterprise is truly depressing to look at. After doing a crazy workup cycle in 2010, then back to back deployments that ship is like my second home. Up until recently I'm pretty sure I spent more time on the ship than I did at my house. So its really sad to see her go and help take her apart.

Back on topic. Im probably gonna walk over to the Ford probably this week and take a tour. I'll report back with any cool stuff. Some of my buddies have gone over there and looked at it and said it is HUGE!! The plants are really really cool, but thats stuff I cant post on here.

truttseeker,

I had no idea you worked there..nor were a nuke. Are you in the Navy??

PM me some time.

Yes...the Enterprise is in pitiful shape being disassembled for decommission. But she was in bad shape before she went out for her last cruise. Long overdue for being decomissioned. Just like the Kennedy and Connie and others. They all have a huge number of miles and years on them.

Yes...certain things we cannot talk about on here.

Thanks,
Orangetom

This was part of Ford's reward for strangling the truth in the Warren Commission.
You either get an aircraft carrier or an airport named for you.
Awesome lady though, America does know how to make carriers.
Unfortunately, weapons systems are making them increasing obsolete due to vulnerabilities.

reply to post by Asktheanimals


That's part of the game. While the new weapons systems are making her more vulnerable, the new defenses are making her less vulnerable. CIWS proved how useless it is recently with the Chancellorsville, but to date SeaRAM has shown itself to be much more effective (which is what they're putting onto ships now). As well as Aegis 9.0, and other improvements on her escorts. Not to mention the ability of her hull to take a beating and survive.

I fear fighting the last war - I wonder the big carriers are likened as modern age battleships circa 1941, Battleships thought to be invulnerable at the time.

I like big machinery and technology, as such the big carriers have it in spades. I agree they are handy in a humanitarian crisis and nothing beats them for global flag waving, still I wonder they constitute a big fat target. Such a big target considered national treasure that the sinking of one or more would expose a failed strategy, rendering the rest virtually useless and touching off full nuclear war as the only response.

It is hard for me to accept that others have not come up with an effective counter to large carriers in the years since the end of WW II.

Submarine's have penetrated battle group defenses many times during exercises.

Swarming a battle group with missiles, cruise missiles and aircraft on multiple bearings is still viable.

Converted DF-21's are an open question mark especially if warheads are nuclear.

The basing, repair and refit facilities are very vulnerable and offer chance to remove 1/4 or more of fleet in one attack.

I'm wondering if the better plan would be to build smaller carriers in much larger numbers along with greater basing options in order to spread the risk and make it much more difficult for a future enemy to make a knockout blow.

Seems this would also offer better national strategy options overall.

reply to post by Kukri


500 GALLONS of fresh water per day??? For how many sailors?

Or do they mean 500 gal per sailor?

If there are several thousand sailors . . . how does 500 gallons equal longer showers for each sailor? Maybe I'm all confuzzed about the facts.

reply to post by BO XIAN


It's 400 gallons to the shower system. The Ford has a smaller crew than the Nimitz, because of all the automation. Counting the Air Wing, the Nimitz has over 5000 sailors on board. Ford will have somewhere around 1,000 fewer.