NORFOLK, Va. -- The U.S. Navy's USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) completed its 18-month post-delivery test and trials (PDT&T) period on 30 April, after finishing Combat Systems Ship’s Qualification Trials (CSSQT) in mid-April with an exceptional performance. Since the October 2019 start of PDT&T, the ship completed all required testing, certified the flight deck, embarked the air wing, accomplished work ahead of schedule, and improved system reliability for new technologies, while serving as the primary East Coast carrier qualification platform for fleet naval aviators.

CSSQT validated Gerald R. Ford’s self-defense capabilities and demonstrated the crew’s expertise in engaging a barrage of formidable targets. During the culminating live-fire exercise, the crew destroyed rocket-propelled drones capable of speeds in excess of 600 miles per hour; towed drone units that simulated incoming rockets; and remote controlled, high-speed maneuvering surface targets. The ship employed RIM-116 missiles; sea sparrow missiles; and rounds from the Mk-15 Phalanx Close-In Weapon System (CIWS), which fires armor-piercing tungsten bullets at 4,500 rounds per minute. The ship’s Dual Band Radar provided accurate target identification and tracking, enabling watch standers to execute pre-planned responses.

USS Gerald R. Ford represents the first major design investment in aircraft carriers since the 1960s. The ship is engineered to support new technologies and a modern air wing essential to deterring and defeating near-peer adversaries in a complex maritime environment. Bringing a significant increase in sortie generation rate, approximately 3 times more electrical generation capacity, and a $4B reduction in total Life-Cycle cost per ship compared to a NIMITZ-class aircraft carrier, the Gerald R. Ford class will serve as the centerpiece of strike group operations through the 21st century, supporting a host of evolving national strategic objectives.

Source: U.S. Navy
Associated URL: https://www.navsea.navy.mil/Media/News/Article/2596302/uss-gerald-r-ford-closes-out-evolutionary-18-month-pdtt-for-first-in-class-airc/
Author: U.S. Navy