Click here - to select or create a menu

Naval News

DSEI Japan 2023
  • News
  • Event News
    • SNA 2023
    • Euronaval 2022
    • Indo Pacific 2022
    • Sea Air Space 2022
    • DIMDEX 2022
  • Interviews
  • Videos
  • Advertising
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
Home» News»U.S. Navy Aircraft Carrier USS Gerald R. Ford Completes Critical Milestones
Ford-class aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78)
The Ford-class aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) Transits the Atlantic Ocean, June 4, 2020. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Ruben Reed/Released)

U.S. Navy Aircraft Carrier USS Gerald R. Ford Completes Critical Milestones

With Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 8 embarked, USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) logged significant milestones this week during Post Delivery Test and Trials (PDT&T) operations at sea.

Martin Manaranche 08 Jun 2020

From USS Gerald R. Ford Public Affairs

During Ford’s largest aircraft embark to date, CVW-8 completed critical milestones on the first-in-class ship, testing secure communications and tactical data links, supporting the use of Network Enabled Weapons (NEW), Combined fixed- and rotary-wing Close Air Support integration, and SIMDIS, a multi-dimensional interactive graphical and video display to playback large events for debriefs.

Underway, CVW-8 conducted day and night cyclic flight operations totaling 324 catapult launches and arrested landings, qualifying 50 pilots, including Ford’s Commanding Officer, Capt. J.J. Cummings. To date, Ford has conducted 3,480 catapult launches and arrested landings with EMALS and AAG. Additionally, during this execution of cyclic flight operations with CVW-8, Ford moved thousands of pounds of inert ordnance via Advanced Weapons Elevators to F/A-18 Super Hornets, employed during Close Air Support and air-to-ground training missions. Executing cyclic operations and arming aircraft with bombs from the ship’s magazines were firsts for the team.

The air wing’s embark provided the first opportunity for Ford’s weapons department to execute a full ordnance movement using a lower stage weapons elevator. Performing as advertised, Ford’s AWEs conducted more than 1,300 cycles during this latest at sea period that enabled the successful transfer of 176 inert bombs in support of air wing operations. Ford’s AWEs have conducted over 10,000 cycles to date.

Commander, Carrier Strike Group (CSG) 12 also embarked Ford during this underway, marking the first time a Strike Group Commander and staff embarked Ford for operations. CSG-12 was able to successfully conduct all intended command and control operations, control and distribute the link picture, and coordinate with Ford and Truman Strike Group assets as well as higher headquarters. Rear Admiral Craig Clapperton, commander, Carrier Strike Group (CSG) 12 assessed that the Strike Group and ship are ahead of schedule in this important command and control domain.

Aviation Ordnancemen assigned to the weapons department aboard the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) bring inert training bombs up to the flight deck during flight operations, May 30, 2020. Ford is underway in the Atlantic Ocean conducting integrated air wing operations. (U.S. Navy photo by Chief Mass Communication Specialist RJ Stratchko/Released)

Clapperton emphasized that this PDT&T phase is all about operating Ford systems with Fleet operators and discovering anomalies and working solutions. These solutions will be key to ensuring that when Ford enters the Fleet after operational testing, the ship is ready to support the war fighter. 

For example, on June 2, just prior to a scheduled flight deck operation cycle, the ship’s Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS) went down. Loss of EMALS curtailed flight operations to some extent, but the Strike Group, ship, and air wing team still accomplished significant goals scheduled for the Ford-class aircraft carrier. 

After several days of troubleshooting and assessing a fault in the launch system’s power handling elements, embarked EMALS experts and Ford’s crew restored the system to enable the safe fly-off of the air wing on Sunday morning, June 7. 

“The ship’s response to these EMALS challenges underscores our ability to identify and to correct issues impacting flight operations quickly. That’s the purpose of the PDT&T phase,”.

“The learning and improvement that results from pushing the systems will make the ship and air wing team better and more effective in future underway events.”

Rear Admiral Craig Clapperton, commander, Carrier Strike Group (CSG) 12.

Following the CVW-8’s fly-off on Sunday, Ford will return to port as planned and continue PDT&T scheduled events.

-End-

AAG EMALS F/A-18 Super Hornet US Navy USS Gerald R. Ford 2020-06-08
Tags AAG EMALS F/A-18 Super Hornet US Navy USS Gerald R. Ford
Facebook Twitter Stumble linkedin Pinterest More

Authors

Posted by : Martin Manaranche
Martin Manaranche is based in Brittany, France. He is currently studying International Relations at Lyon III university. Martin conducted an internship at the French Navy's Ecole Navale in Brest and is therefore particularly fond of naval defense issues.

Related Articles

US Navy Showcases Operational Readiness in Exercise with Israel

US Navy Showcases Operational Readiness in Exercise with Israel

Naval News Staff 30 Jan 2023
U.S. naval forces participated in the largest-ever bilateral exercise between the United States and Israel last week, which culminated in a visit to aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77)...
War in Ukraine: Western Navies See Lessons from Strategic to Tactical Levels

War in Ukraine: Western Navies See Lessons from Strategic to Tactical Levels

Dr Lee Willett 27 Jan 2023
The lessons emerging from the war in Ukraine for Western navies range from the strategic to the tactical levels, the chiefs of the French, UK, and US navies told the recent inaugural Paris Naval Conference.
U.S. Navy awards contract to buy multi-engine training system METS

U.S. Navy awards contract to buy multi-engine training system METS

Naval News Staff 27 Jan 2023
The U.S. Navy announced on Jan. 25 that it awarded Textron Aviation a single, firm-fixed-price contract to develop the T-54A multi-engine training system (METS) aircraft.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Legal / Privacy Policy
About Us
Contact Us

Copyright © 2022 Naval News
All Rights Reserved