Bloomberg: USS Gerald R. Ford faces more problems beyond fire in laundry area

WASHINGTON, March 24 (YPA) – A Pentagon report raised concerns over the performance of systems aboard the USS Gerald R. Ford, particularly its aircraft launch and radar systems.

The USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier arrived at a port on a Greek island after leaving Middle East operations against Iran due to a laundry-area fire, but the vessel faces broader underlying problems, Bloomberg reported Tuesday.

Bloomberg reported that the concerns around the aircraft carrier range from the potentially grave to the mundane, according to a new assessment from the Pentagon testing office, with many issues surfacing after it started combat testing in October 2022.

The report cited concerns as there is not enough current test data to assess the carrier’s “operational suitability,” or the reliability of several key systems, including its jet launch and recovery system, its radar, its ability to keep operating if hit by enemy fire, and its elevators for moving weapons and munitions for warplanes from the hold to the flight deck.

A recent Pentagon testing assessment found that, nearly a decade after delivery, there is still insufficient data to determine the ship’s “operational effectiveness” under realistic combat conditions.

The USS Gerald R. Ford, the world’s largest aircraft carrier that has been part of Middle East war operations, according to Agence France-Presse. The vessel is undergoing repairs for fire damage and a scheduled resupply after operating in the Red Sea.

The carrier had previously docked at the base in February to resupply with provisions, fuel, and ammunition. On March 12, a fire broke out in a laundry room, injuring two crew members, according to the US military.

@E.Y.M