Asia Defense

US Navy Wants to Delay Shock Trials of $13 Billion Supercarrier

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Asia Defense

US Navy Wants to Delay Shock Trials of $13 Billion Supercarrier

The U.S. Navy is seeking to postpone shock trials for its new nuclear-powered aircraft carrier.

US Navy Wants to Delay Shock Trials of $13 Billion Supercarrier
Credit: US Navy

The U.S. Navy has requested to delay for at least six years “shock trials” for its nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78), the lead of ship of the United States’ latest class of carriers, Bloomberg reports this week. In detail, the service is seeking to remove shock trials for the USS Gerald R. Ford from the Navy’s 2019 budget in order to expedite the carrier’s operational deployment.

Shock trials are meant to test a carrier’s key systems and assess how well they do under combat conditions. The tests, which have been going on for many decades in the U.S. Navy, involve the detonation of underwater charges. Depending on the outcome of the shock trials, design changes may be necessary prior to a ship assuming initial combat duty. The already overstretched U.S. Navy is concerned that shock testing the carrier may further delay its deployment date.

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