Errymath: USS Gerald R. Ford

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   USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78). © MC2 Ridge Leoni / US Navy / AFP   
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The USS Gerald R. Ford has finally taken to the sea after a series of 
costly and time-consuming setbacks. Here are five things you probably 
did not know about the aircraft carrier.

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1</div>
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The numbers</div>
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Building
 the USS Gerald R. Ford was no small feat – in fact, it took 5,000 
shipbuilders to get the job done, according to ABC News.<br /><br />It also took 200,000 gallons of paint to cover the ship – enough to paint the White House 350 times.<br />The ship weighs 90,000 tons, equivalent to 400 Statues of Liberty.</div>
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More than 1,000 sailors are on board</div>
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The
 ship is carrying more than 1,000 US Navy sailors, along with hundreds 
of officials and workers from Naval Nuclear Reactors, Naval Sea Systems 
Command, and Newport News Shipbuilding, according to the Navy Times. <br /><br />More
 than 900 of the sailors on board moved onto the aircraft carrier in 
August 2015, to begin training and take the ship to sea. Despite the 
ship missing its projected deployment date of early 2016, those sailors 
have remained on board. <br />The ship will eventually hold approximately 4,500 sailors, around 700 less than a typical carrier, according to ABC News.</div>
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3</div>
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First in a series of trials</div>
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The
 aircraft carrier departed from Huntington Ingalls Industries-Newport 
News Shipbuilding in Newport News, Virginia, on Saturday. The ship is 
currently undergoing builder’s trials, under which various systems and 
technologies are being tested, according to AP. <br /><br />The trials mark 
the first in a series of tests. Once the builder’s trials are completed,
 the aircraft carrier will return to port before embarking again for 
“acceptance trials,” which are conducted by Navy inspectors.</div>
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4</div>
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Long & expensive journey</div>
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Operation
 of the USS Gerald R. Ford has been long-awaited. The planning and 
construction phases began more than a decade ago, beginning with the 
first contract award in May 2004. Steel was first cut in 2005, and a 
keel-laying ceremony took place in November 2009, according to the Navy 
Times. The aircraft carrier was first floated in October 2013, and was 
christened by Susan Ford, the daughter of President Gerald R. Ford, in 
November 2013.<br /><br />Construction of the aircraft carrier was supposed 
to be completed by September 2015, but issues with its advanced systems 
and technology – including aircraft landing equipment and power 
generation – caused delays. <br />The ship’s delivery date has been 
pushed back multiple times. One of those delays took place last year, 
when its electricity-generating main turbines were found to have 
mechanical problems.<br />The delays also prompted budget overruns. 
The ship’s construction cost came in at a final total of $12.9 billion –
 a whopping $2.4 billion more than was estimated prior to its planned 
September 2015 completion date.</div>
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It marks a milestone</div>
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The
 Saturday deployment of the USS Gerald R. Ford marks the first time in 
42 years that the Navy has deployed a new class of aircraft carrier. The
 last time such an event took place was in March 1975, when the USS 
Nimitz took off to sea from the exact same pier for her sea trials. <br /><br />The
 USS Gerald R. Ford is the first in a new class of super-carriers that 
will eventually replace the Nimitz-class carriers which currently 
dominate the Navy fleet.<br /></div>

Out to sea: 5 facts about the USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier

USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78). © MC2 Ridge Leoni / US Navy / AFP The USS Gerald R. Ford has finally taken to the sea after a series...

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'Unless these issues are resolved, 
which would likely require redesigning, they will significantly limit 
the CVN-78’s ability to conduct combat operations,' the Defense 
Department's Michael Gilmore wrote<br />
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<span id="ext-gen204" style="font-size: 1.2em;">The
 most expensive warship ever built has been delayed from hitting the 
front line because it is reportedly not ready for battle.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">The
 $12.9 billion USS Gerald R. Ford Navy supercarrier - the first of three
 in its class with a total cost of $43 billion - could potentially 
struggle with planes landing and taking off, moving military weapons and
 being able to successfully defend itself, a memo obtained by <a class="" href="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-07-20/navy-s-12-9-billion-carrier-isn-t-ready-for-warfare-memo-says" rel="nofollow" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Bloomberg News</a> reads.</span></div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">The memo allegedly states 'poor or unknown reliability issues' were identified in a letter dated June 28.</span></div>
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<img alt="The USS Gerald R. Ford (pictured at a christening ceremony in November, 2013), the most expensive warship ever built has been delayed from hitting the front line and is reportedly not ready for battle" class="blkBorder img-share" height="366" id="i-45d1e98c7e1002b4" src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2016/07/21/18/3679B1E000000578-3701727-The_USS_Gerald_R_Ford_pictured_at_a_christening_ceremony_in_Nove-a-2_1469123774263.jpg" width="962" /><div class="share-pictures-overlay" id="share-pictures-2">
  
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The USS Gerald R. Ford (pictured at a 
christening ceremony in November, 2013), the most expensive warship ever
 built has been delayed from hitting the front line and is reportedly 
not ready for battle</div>
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<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">'These
 four systems affect major areas of flight operations,' Defense 
Department Director of Operational Test and Evaluation Michael Gilmore 
wrote to  Pentagon and Navy weapons buyers, according to Bloomberg News.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">'Unless
 these issues are resolved, which would likely require redesigning, they
 will significantly limit the CVN-78’s ability to conduct combat 
operations.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">'Based
 on current reliability estimates, the CVN-78 is unlikely to conduct 
high-intensity flight operations at the outset of a war.' </span></div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">It
 comes after Senator John McCain slammed an announcement earlier this 
month that stated the ship will not be rolled out until at least 
November this year - more than two years after its original intended 
date of September 2014.</span></div>
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<img alt="When it is finished, the USS Gerald R. Ford will weigh almost 100,000 tonnes - or as much as 400 Statue of Libertys" class="blkBorder img-share" height="640" id="i-7fe0e9869f04572d" src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2016/07/21/19/367A7DBC00000578-3701727-image-a-1_1469125205457.jpg" width="962" /><div class="share-pictures-overlay" id="share-pictures-3">
  
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When it is finished, the USS Gerald R. Ford will weigh almost 100,000 tonnes - or as much as 400 Statue of Libertys. <i>dailymail</i></div>
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<img alt="The $12.9 billion supercarrier (pictured during construction in April 2014) could potentially struggle with planes landing and taking off, moving military weapons and being able to successfully defend itself" class="blkBorder img-share" height="642" id="i-9245e656b7209040" src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2016/07/21/20/367A805600000578-3701727-image-a-92_1469129890911.jpg" width="962" /><div class="share-pictures-overlay" id="share-pictures-4">
  
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The $12.9 billion supercarrier 
(pictured during construction in April 2014) could potentially struggle 
with planes landing and taking off, moving military weapons and being 
able to successfully defend itself</div>
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<img alt="On June 16, 2015, Susan Ford Bales participated in a demonstration of the new electromagnetic catapults on the aircraft carrier Gerald R. Ford. Difficulty with the new catapult system is one of the main reasons for the latest delays with the ship's delivery" class="blkBorder img-share" height="640" id="i-a9eee68669b3af88" src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2016/07/21/19/367A7DAD00000578-3701727-image-a-8_1469125264467.jpg" width="962" /><div class="share-pictures-overlay" id="share-pictures-5">
  
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On June 16, 2015, Susan Ford Bales 
participated in a demonstration of the new electromagnetic catapults on 
the aircraft carrier Gerald R. Ford. Difficulty with the new catapult 
system is one of the main reasons for the latest delays with the ship's 
delivery. <i>dailymail</i></div>
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<span style="background-color: #ffe599;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE USS GERALD R. FORD </span></span>                            </h3>
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<li class=""><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">About 5,000 shipbuilders have been involved in the construction of the Navy's most expensive warship.</span></li>
</ul>
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<li class=""><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">The USS Gerald R. Ford will weigh almost 100,000 tonnes - or as much as 400 Statue of Libertys.</span></li>
</ul>
<ul class="mol-bullets-with-font">
<li class=""><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">The
 ship has a five-acre flight deck, and holds 4,660 personnel and 75 
aircraft, and was designed completely using 3D computer modelling. </span></li>
</ul>
<ul class="mol-bullets-with-font">
<li class=""><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">It can reach speeds upwards of 30 knots (about 34 mph), and has more than 10,000,000 feet of electronic cable built in. </span></li>
</ul>
<ul class="mol-bullets-with-font">
<li class=""><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">There
 are two other ships in the Ford class: the USS John F. Kennedy and a 
new USS Enterprise - expected to be commissioned in 2020 and 2025 
respectively. The total cost for the three vessels is estimated to be 
more than $43 billion. </span></li>
</ul>
<ul class="mol-bullets-with-font">
<li class=""><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">The
 giant warship is 1,106-foot long and will be capable of launching 220 
airstrikes per day from its two runways, while appearing almost 
invisible to radar detectors.</span></li>
</ul>
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<li class=""><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">The USS Gerald R. Ford will replace the USS Enterprise, which was in service from 1962 to 2012.</span></li>
</ul>
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<li class=""><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">The
 ship is able to launch so many airstrikes - one almost every six 
minutes - because the deck uses electromagnetic force to propel the jets
 forward. It is a similar method as used on roller coasters.</span></li>
</ul>
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<div class="mol-para-with-font">
<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">'The
 Navy’s announcement of another two-month delay in the delivery of 
CVN-78 further demonstrates that key systems still have not demonstrated
 expected performance,' McCain said in a statement. </span></div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">'The
 advanced arresting gear (AAG) cannot recover airplanes. Advanced 
weapons elevators cannot lift munitions. The dual-band radar cannot 
integrate two radar bands. Even if everything goes according to the 
Navy’s plan, CVN-78 will be delivered with multiple systems unproven.</span></div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">'This
 situation is unacceptable and was entirely preventable. After more than
 $2.3 billion in cost overruns have increased its cost to nearly $13 
billion, the taxpayers deserve to know when CVN-78 will actually be 
delivered, how much developmental risk remains in the program, if cost 
overruns will continue, and who is being held accountable.'</span></div>
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<img alt="The USS Gerald R. Ford under construction in April 2013, with the addition of the ship's upper bow bringing it close to structural completion" class="blkBorder img-share" height="640" id="i-3fa5ef3041553894" src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2016/07/21/19/367A7DB500000578-3701727-image-a-4_1469125210194.jpg" width="962" /><div class="share-pictures-overlay" id="share-pictures-6">
  
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The USS Gerald R. Ford under 
construction in April 2013, with the addition of the ship's upper bow 
bringing it close to structural completion</div>
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<img alt="When it is finished, the giant 1,106-foot USS Gerald R. Ford will be able to launch 220 airstrikes per day from its two runways, hold 4,000 sailors and marines, and be virtually invisible to enemy radar" class="blkBorder img-share" height="640" id="i-34bfeeeb34f6cf47" src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2016/07/21/19/367A7DA500000578-3701727-image-a-5_1469125239692.jpg" width="962" /><div class="share-pictures-overlay" id="share-pictures-7">
  
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When it is finished, the giant 
1,106-foot USS Gerald R. Ford will be able to launch 220 airstrikes per 
day from its two runways, hold 4,000 sailors and marines, and be 
virtually invisible to enemy radar</div>
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<img alt="This picture was taken during a recent Fast Cruise on June 8, 2016, giving the ship's crew a chance to work with the on-board systems" class="blkBorder img-share" height="595" id="i-a227928dc44245db" src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2016/07/21/20/367A808300000578-3701727-image-a-93_1469129907253.jpg" width="962" /><div class="share-pictures-overlay" id="share-pictures-8">
  
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This picture was taken during a recent
 Fast Cruise on June 8, 2016, giving the ship's crew a chance to work 
with the on-board systems</div>
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<img alt="The USS Gerald R. Ford is the first of three ships in the Navy's new fleet, with the USS John F. Kennedy and USS Enterprise planned for commission in 2020 and 2025 respectively" class="blkBorder img-share" height="553" id="i-39d8e70535349675" src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2016/07/21/18/367A60A800000578-3701727-image-a-5_1469123866819.jpg" width="962" /><div class="share-pictures-overlay" id="share-pictures-9">
  
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The USS Gerald R. Ford is the first of
 three ships in the Navy's new fleet, with the USS John F. Kennedy and 
USS Enterprise planned for commission in 2020 and 2025 respectively</div>
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<div class="mol-para-with-font">
<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">When
 it is finished, the giant 1,106-foot USS Gerald R. Ford will be able to
 launch 220 airstrikes per day from its two runways, hold 4,000 sailors 
and marines, and be virtually invisible to enemy radar. </span></div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">The
 ship is able to launch so many airstrikes - one almost every six 
minutes - because the deck uses electromagnetic force to propel the jets
 forward. It is a similar method as used on roller coasters. </span></div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">Construction
 of the vessel began in Newport News, Virginia, in 2007, with Huntington
 Ingalls Industries tasked with building the ship.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">In
 2013, the cost of building the ship was estimated at $12.8 billion, 
about 22 per cent over the initial 2008 budget. An additional $4.7 
billion was also spent in research and development.</span></div>
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<img alt="Recruit Daniel Banks stands as the port lookout during a simulated bridge training exercise aboard the USS Gerald R. Ford" class="blkBorder img-share" height="687" id="i-d5d29656e42c8829" src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2016/07/21/20/367A808F00000578-3701727-image-a-95_1469129911543.jpg" width="962" /><div class="share-pictures-overlay" id="share-pictures-10">
  
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Recruit Daniel Banks stands as the port lookout during a simulated bridge training exercise aboard the USS Gerald R. Ford</div>
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<img alt="A shipbuilder is seen walking on the deck of the USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) aircraft carrier during outfitting and testing at Huntington Ingalls Industries' Newport News shipyard" class="blkBorder img-share" height="642" id="i-7ee6362fec67c1ce" src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2016/07/21/18/3679B1EA00000578-3701727-A_shipbuilder_is_seen_walking_on_the_deck_of_the_USS_Gerald_R_Fo-a-4_1469123774267.jpg" width="962" /><div class="share-pictures-overlay" id="share-pictures-11">
  
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A shipbuilder is seen walking on the 
deck of the USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) aircraft carrier during 
outfitting and testing at Huntington Ingalls Industries' Newport News 
shipyard</div>
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As of 2013 when the ship was 
christened, the cost of building the USS Gerald R. Ford was estimated at
 $12.8 billion, about 22 per cent over the initial 2008 budget. <i>dailymail</i></div>
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Susan Ford Bales, President Ford's 
daughter, smashing a bottle of American sparkling wine over the boat 
during the christening ceremony in 2013</div>
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The USS Gerald R. Ford
 has a five-acre flight deck, and holds 4,660 personnel and 75 aircraft -
 such as the F-35, pictured landing aboard the aircraft carrier USS 
Nimitz in November 2014. <i>dailymail</i></div>
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<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">As of June, the warship's construction was said to be 98 per cent complete.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">Partly
 due to its spiraling cost, the state-of-the-art carrier has provoked 
strong criticism from some quarters, including the government's own 
watchdogs.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">In
 2013, the Government Accountability Office wrote: 'Key ship systems 
face reliability shortfalls that the Navy does not expect to resolve 
until many years after [Ford] commissioning, which will limit the ship’s
 mission effectiveness during initial deployments and likely increase 
costs to the government.'</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">It
 added: 'The Navy faces technical, design, and construction challenges 
to completing Gerald R. Ford that have led to significant cost 
increases.'</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">There
 are two other ships in the Ford class: the USS John F. Kennedy and a 
new USS Enterprise - expected to be commissioned in 2020 and 2025 
respectively. The total cost for the three vessels is estimated to be 
more than $43 billion. </span></div>
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  <span>Read more:</span>
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<li><a class="js-tl" href="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-07-20/navy-s-12-9-billion-carrier-isn-t-ready-for-warfare-memo-says" id="ext-gen203" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Navy’s $12.9 Billion Carrier Isn’t Ready for Warfare, Memo Says - Bloomberg</a></li>
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