Navy Presses Mattis to Delay ‘Shock Testing’ Costliest Carrier
- Decision pits push to add carriers against key resilience test
- Pentagon tester cites need to know if systems work in combat
U.S. President Donald Trump departs aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford in July 2017.
Photographer: Petty Officer 3rd Class Matthew Fairchild/U.S. NavyThis article is for subscribers only.
U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis is weighing a Navy request to delay for at least six years the shock testing intended to determine how well its new $12.9 billion aircraft carrier could withstand attack.
The decision pits the Navy’s push to have an 11-carrier fleet ready to deploy as soon as possible against warnings from the Pentagon’s testing office that the USS Gerald R. Ford shouldn’t be deployed for initial combat duty until it’s gone through the tests, which involve setting off underwater charges to check the resilience of a ship’s key systems.