Navy’s $12.9 Billion Carrier Isn’t Ready for Warfare, Memo Says
- USS Gerald Ford’s key systems have reliability issues
- Aircraft launch and delivery systems may need to be redesigned
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The U.S. Navy’s newest aircraft carrier isn’t ready for warfare.
The $12.9 billion USS Gerald R. Ford -- the most expensive warship ever built -- may struggle to launch and recover aircraft, mount a defense and move munitions, according to the Pentagon’s top weapons tester. On-board systems for those tasks have poor or unknown reliability issues, according to a June 28 obtained by Bloomberg News.