Latest news with #Ford-class
Yahoo
17-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Navy secretary says need for new shipbuilding is a ‘national emergency' at local visit
Newly sworn-in Secretary of the Navy John Phelan visited Hampton Roads shipyards in Norfolk and Newport News on Wednesday as part of a tour that's taken him around the country. Speaking to media at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard after concluding his visit, Phelan emphasized the need for new investment in shipbuilding to meet the demands of the moment, calling it a 'national emergency.' He floated building ships overseas in partnership with foreign allies as well as using old shipyards and advancements in technology to shrink the 'footprint' of current shipyards to allow for expanded manufacturing of military vessels. 'I think we have grossly underinvested in this country and hollowed out manufacturing and that's been a real problem, and we now have a real demand signal for the industrial base – particularly for (submarines) and carriers – and so we're behind and now we have to catch up,' Phelan said. He said in order to create the workforce needed to spur this growth, it would require jobs programs that match the focus put on coding in recent years. 'We spent the last 10 years teaching people how to code, we're going to spend the next 10 teaching them how to use their hands,' Phelan said. 'That is going to be a critical skill set and I believe that we can create very good careers, longterm careers.' Phelan was sworn in on March 25 and is overseeing the Navy's $263.5 billion annual budget. Previously he was the founder and chairman of the Palm Beach-based private investment firm Rugger Management, and was co-founder and co-managing partner of MSD Capital. He has an MBA from Harvard Business School and has a Bachelor's degree in Economics and Political Science from Southern Methodist University. In talking to workers at different levels of the shipbuilding process, some common themes emerged including difficulties with parking. He said these conversations will inform his decision making going forward. Phelan said one of his main focuses on his visit was to check in on the construction of the Ford-class USS John F. Kennedy, which is three years behind schedule. He resisted attributing the delays to any one factor, saying he's still gathering information on the situation, but said he is 'optimistic' the issue can be resolved. 'I think it's a number of different factors, I'm still really formulating that. I think it's going to take a whole-of-government approach to fix,' Phelan said. Overall he said he was very impressed with Hampton Roads' shipyards, particularly the capacity to build nuclear powered supercarriers, calling them the 'backbone of our deterrence and the president's peace through strength initiative.' Gavin Stone, 757-712-4806,
Asia Times
11-04-2025
- Business
- Asia Times
US aircraft carriers adrift as China surges at sea
Production delays, rising threats and shrinking numbers are putting the US's traditional aircraft carrier dominance on a knife's edge just as China surges ahead at sea. This month, in a hearing before the US Senate Armed Services Committee, US Navy officials acknowledged schedule setbacks for two Ford-class aircraft carriers under construction. The USS John F Kennedy (CVN-79), which is almost 95% finished, is under heavy pressure to meet its scheduled delivery date of July 2025. This pressure is mainly due to Advanced Weapons Elevators and the Aircraft Launch and Recovery Equipment issues. While the initial design issues that plagued the class have been resolved, as demonstrated by the USS Gerald R Ford's (CVN-78) successful 2024 deployment, production-specific hurdles continue to delay progress on CVN-79. Meanwhile, construction of the USS Enterprise (CVN-80), currently 44% complete, is also running behind schedule. The delay is attributed to late-sequenced critical material, which US Navy officials say will 'significantly delay delivery past the contractual date.' The US Navy works closely with shipbuilder Huntington Ingalls Industries-Newport News Shipbuilding (HII-NNS) and critical path vendors to mitigate the schedule risks. Although no updated delivery dates were given for either ship, the testimony emphasized that insights gained are being utilized to enhance operational efficiency in CVN-80 and the USS Doris Miller (CVN-81). Despite the persistent construction obstacles, the US Navy is concentrating on reaching the quickest route to having a combat-ready aircraft carrier, crew and air wing. Underscoring the urgency of having the CVN-79 and CVN-80 ready as soon as possible, Tal Manvel mentions in a February 2025 Proceedings article that the Nimitz-class carriers urgently need replacement as they approach decommissioning due to limitations in power, space and weight highlighted during a 1995 system analysis. Manvel warns that retiring the USS Nimitz (CVN-68) in 2026 and the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69) in 2027—without promptly initiating the next Ford-class dual buy for CVN-82 and CVN-83—will reduce the fleet below the legally required 11 aircraft carriers and disrupt shipyard efficiency by creating a costly seven-year production gap. Despite debates over their relevance, the US's continued building of aircraft carriers ensures their place as a centerpiece of force projection, regardless of their growing vulnerability. Underscoring the point, Mark Cancian and other writers mention in a January 2023 report for the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) think tank that the US lost two carriers in a simulation of a US-China conflict over Taiwan. Further, Steve Balestrieri mentions in a March 2025 article for 1945 that while China and Russia have hypersonic missiles that can sink US carriers, the US has no effective defense against such weapons. Balestrieri adds that stealthy conventional submarines can evade a carrier's defenses, possibly sinking the latter. In line with those threats, Cancian and others note that the US only avoided losing its carriers in optimistic Taiwan war scenarios when it didn't push its fleet forward as a deterrent signal. Nevertheless, US carriers may still have a role to play in such a conflict, provided they are kept out of harm's way. In a February 2022 article for The American Sea Power Project, Thomas Mahnken proposes that carriers could be part of an 'outside force' in the Second Island Chain that acts as a strategic reserve to prevent China from projecting power beyond the First Island Chain while supporting US offensive operations. Alternatively, Trevor Phillips-Levine and Andrew Tenbusch mention in a July 2024 article for the Center for International Maritime Security (CIMSEC) that the US could use its carriers as a 'fleet-in-being' decoy to tie down significant Chinese resources and weapons that could otherwise be used against the US in a war over Taiwan. While the US may have the world's largest carrier fleet at 11 ships, that number might not be enough for great power competition with China. Kyle Mizokami mentions in a March 2021 article for Popular Mechanics that during the Cold War, the US had 13 to 15 carriers, compared to today's minimum mandated strength of 11 ships. Mizokami points out that the rule of thirds typically governs carrier deployments—one-third of the fleet is on patrol, one-third is returning from patrol, and one-third is undergoing repair and maintenance. With the US having just 11 carriers, he says four might be available for operations, but that number could surge to five or six in an emergency. As of April 2025, Newsweek reports that the US has three carriers deployed in the Pacific: the USS George Washington (CVN-73), based in Japan; the USS Nimitz (CVN-68), moving into the Western Pacific to replace the USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70); and the USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72), operating in the Eastern Pacific. Mizokami mentions that the US Atlantic and Pacific carrier fleets are already overstretched and that adding a 12th carrier could alleviate some of the strain. He also suggests that the US could decide that it doesn't need carriers in certain regions all the time and scale down deployments, but that risks degrading deterrence against potential adversaries such as Iran and China. But could the US put 12 carriers at sea? In an August 2024 article for The National Interest (TNI), Peter Suciu mentions that a Ford-class carrier costs around US$13.3 billion and requires hundreds of millions of dollars to maintain. Suciu notes that carriers' complexity and cost make them tempting targets, and if they were to be damaged or lost in combat, that would mean a waste of billions of dollars and seriously impair US force projection capabilities. Moreover, a report from the US Congressional Research Service (CRS) from January 2025 indicates that although the US Navy plans to ultimately deploy 12 aircraft carriers as a part of its projected 381-ship battle force fleet, there are considerable obstacles to reaching and maintaining this target. According to the report, the US Navy's FY2025 30-year shipbuilding plan projects reaching 12 carriers in only three years within the FY2025–FY2054 timeframe—2025, 2029, and 2032—with the carrier fleet dropping to nine by 2047 in some scenarios. It notes that barriers include budget constraints, delays in ship construction and industrial base limitations. While the US struggles with building and maintaining its carriers, China seems to be progressing apace. Kris Osborne mentions in a March 2025 article for 1945 that China, with the world's largest navy, now has three carriers in the Pacific and is building a fourth, the Type 004, which could be its first nuclear-powered carrier to rival or even be larger than the US Ford class. Osborne notes that while China faces the same arguments regarding the utility of carriers in modern naval warfare, the construction of the Type 004 shows that it still sees these ships as relevant. He mentions China's development of ship-based defenses and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities to detect incoming anti-ship missiles, underscoring its military planners' belief that carriers could provide unique and extremely valuable advantages in war.
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
The US Navy is still grappling with elevator problems on its new Ford-class supercarriers
The US Navy's next aircraft carrier is almost finished but faces challenges with its elevators, among other technology. The advanced weapons elevators were previously an issue on the first-in-class USS Gerald R. Ford. Navy officials suggested in written testimony to Congress that they could affect the new USS John F. Kennedy. The US Navy next Ford-class aircraft carrier is just about done, but it could be held up by challenges with the elevators, Navy officers and officials said this week. It's a bit of déjà vu. The same technology was at the center of headaches for USS Gerald R. Ford, the first of the new class of Navy supercarriers, and now the elevators are a challenge as shipbuilders work to finish the next ship in the class. "The John F. Kennedy (CVN 79) is nearly 95% construction complete and has a contract delivery date of July 2025," Navy officials said in a joint statement before the Senate Armed Services Committee seapower subcommittee's hearing on the state of nuclear shipbuilding on Tuesday. "However, we assess that significant pressure to that date." The officials cited issues with some of the CVN 79's technologies, namely the advanced weapons elevators and aircraft launch and recovery systems. They said the pressure to meet the contractual delivery date is driven by "critical path challenges, primarily in the Advanced Weapons Elevators and Aircraft Launch and Recovery Equipment." The officials added that while "initial class design challenges are resolved," some of the "early class production-focused challenges and associated learning continue on CVN 79." The Advanced Weapons Elevators with electromagnetic motors, Advanced Arresting Gear, and Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System were issues during the development and construction of the first-in-class USS Gerald R. Ford, which faced delays and cost overruns mostly attributed to integration issues surrounding new systems and capabilities. The elevators on the Ford, for example, weren't installed when the carrier was delivered in May 2017, well beyond the original 2015 delivery goal. The first of 11 weapons elevators arrived in December 2018. The Navy secretary at the time, Richard Spencer, staked his job on fixing the Ford elevators in early 2019, but the problem persisted beyond the deadline. In January 2020, then-acting secretary Thomas Modly said that the issue had been "sort of a disaster" but noted the service was "getting after the problem." In their joint statement on Tuesday, Navy officials highlighted successful USS Gerald R. Ford deployments, indicating that the issue is in production, not design at this stage. They added that the lessons learned are being implemented on CVN 80 and 81. The Navy didn't immediately respond to Business Insider's query about the specific problems with the weapons elevators and potential delays to CVN 79's delivery. The Ford class' elevators are controlled by electromagnetic, linear synchronous motors, which effectively allow them to move faster and carry more ordnance. Nimitz-class carriers have weapons elevators that use pulleys and cables and can carry 10,500 pounds at 100 feet a minute. The Ford's, on the other hand, can carry up to 24,000 pounds at 150 feet per minute. Among the other new technologies on the Ford class, the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System, or EMALS, is also an upgrade, over the steam catapults on the Nimitz-class carriers. The system is designed for faster sorties of heavier aircraft but the technology saw questionable performance, as did the new advanced arresting gear for aircraft recovery. The inclusion of the elevators and EMALS was paired with overall ship layout changes as well. President Donald Trump has previously been critical of both the catapults and the weapons elevators on the Ford, expressing concern about the use of magnets in the advanced technology. The Navy officials who testified before Congress Tuesday said the "Navy and shipbuilder HII-NNS are hyper-focused on a CVN 79 delivery plan that results in the fastest path to a combat ready CVN, crew, and air wing." Read the original article on Business Insider
Yahoo
27-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
The shipbuilding industrial base is warning that the US Navy's aircraft carrier delay could be a disaster
A delay in procuring the next US Navy aircraft carrier could have major impacts on its industrial base. It'll affect more than 2,000 businesses, representing over 60,000 jobs across the country. If production slows, it'll take more effort to restart and maintain the workforce. The industrial base building the US Navy's next-generation aircraft carriers is sounding the alarm on another potential delay that could affect thousands of suppliers — and tens of thousands of workers. The Aircraft Carrier Industrial Base Coalition, representing more than 2,000 businesses and over 60,000 jobs across 44 states, was in Washington DC this week to push Congress for what they say is needed to begin construction on the fifth Ford-class carrier, CVN 82, to be named the USS William J. Clinton. "We're going to ask for $600 million of advanced procurement funding for CVN 82, with a contract award no later than fiscal year 2029," ACIBC Chair Lisa Papini told Business Insider. "We're at a point where our companies are starting to go cold," she said, characterizing the moment as a "real inflection point." The advanced procurement funding being sought allows suppliers to keep their ship production lines for carriers running hot and, in turn, maintain a workforce even before the keel laying that marks the start of a ship's construction. The Navy's fiscal year 2025 budget, presented a year ago, proposed pushing procurement of CVN 82 to fiscal year 2030. Advanced procurement would begin in fiscal year 2027. The Navy could change this schedule when the Defense Department presents its forthcoming FY 2026 budget or Congress could intervene. ACIBC said that a delay in the procurement of CVN 82 to 2030 would not only constitute the longest construction interval between nuclear-powered aircraft carriers to date — seven and a half years to be specific — but it would also force its businesses to slow down production processes, delay material orders, and see workers move to new projects. Papini said the industrial base would effectively have to start from zero. "It's pretty much the opposite of what our nation needs at this moment," she added, pointing to recent deployments of carriers for US posturing in certain theaters and comments from military officials, namely US Indo-Pacific Command head Adm. Samuel Paparo, on the indispensable nature of carriers. Per the ACIBC, 73% of sole- or single-source CVN suppliers are or will stop continuous production — go cold — in 2025 without immediate action. By 2027, that number reaches 96%. Papini noted that maintenance is also affected by this. The Navy told Business Insider it's "committed to closely collaborating with industry partners to deliver the most lethal and affordable platforms that maintain our nation's maritime superiority." If long intervals between Ford-class carriers continue, 71% of ACIBC businesses forecast significant cost increases to their products and a reduction in the workforce, according to a recent survey. Others outside of the industrial base have also raised concerns about plans for procuring the CVN 82. In February, for instance, retired Navy Capt. Tan Manvel, a former engineer who led the development of the initial Ford design, wrote that plans to potentially defer CVN 82 will create a major gap between carrier construction and not keep pace with plans to retire older carriers. The Navy is required to have no fewer than 11 aircraft carriers. The Nimitz-class ships are being retired as their reactors age out. "Yet the Navy's plan delays CVN-82 and basically, every ship afterward," national security analyst Rebecca Grant said last year. She called the trend "the beginning of a death spiral." If the Navy delays CVN 82, "the shipyards and suppliers can't catch up." And Navy veteran and consultant Bryan McGrath wrote last March that the additional delay in procuring CVN 82 would make the problems facing continuous carrier production worse. It also comes at a time when, he said, carriers have shown value in the Red Sea, and China continues its aggressive behavior in the Indo-Pacific region. The ACIBC's concerns reflect larger trends across the shipbuilding industry. Top Navy projects for new submarines and warships are delayed and facing rising costs. Military officials, experts, and lawmakers are trying to figure out how to fix current problems while also addressing decadeslong shipbuilding woes. Many have pointed towards the first and primary issue being labor. Keeping skilled workers with competitive pay, good benefits, and a high quality of life is critical, industry has noted. Should those workers leave, hiring and training new people takes time, adding in another factor suppliers have to consider in this process. The Trump administration has indicated that revitalizing American shipbuilding is a top priority. President Donald Trump recently announced plans to establish a White House office dedicated to the issue, although details are few. Others have said the Navy's inconsistent demand for ships has left the industrial base without much-needed consistency. Conversations around fixing these shipbuilding issues are a great start, Papini said. "The demand signal for a company," though, she added, is a purchase order. "That's the trigger that starts the process." Read the original article on Business Insider
Yahoo
27-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
US Navy secretary nominee says Trump texts him in the middle of the night about rusty warships
Trump's Navy secretary nominee said the President texts him in the middle of the night about rusty warships. Phelan said Trump sends him pictures of worn ships asking him what he's going to do about it. During his first term, the President was said to be very focused on the look of warships. President Donald Trump's pick for US Navy secretary said multiple times on Thursday that he receives late-night texts from the President about rusty warships. "I jokingly say that President Trump has texted me numerous times very late at night — sometimes after one in the morning," John Phelan, a businessman tapped to lead the Navy, told lawmakers during his Senate Armed Services Committee confirmation hearing. He said that the president's late-night messages are about "rusty ships or ships in a yard, asking me, what am I doing about it?" Phelan added that he's told him, "I'm not confirmed yet and have not been able to do anything about it, but I will be very focused on it." Later in the hearing, Sen. Rick Scott, a Florida Republican, showed Phelan a recent picture of the destroyer USS Dewey covered in rust and asked him how he felt about it. He responded: "Please don't give it to President Trump because I'll get a text at like, one in the morning." He added he thought the rusty warship looked terrible and suggested that the Navy "should be ashamed." And that wasn't the last mention of it. Toward the end of the hearing, he noted Trump's urgency in addressing problems in the Navy. He said that "the president did text me, I think it was 1:18 in the morning, of like three Rusty ships in a yard and said what are you doing about this." The brown streaks of rust sometimes seen on Navy vessels are a sign of corrosion. It is a constant battle for Navy warships and their crews, and that fight is sometimes lost amid high operational tempos or maintenance delays, among other challenges. The questions to Phelan were part of the committee's concerns about how the nominee plans to address the US Navy's shipbuilding and maintenance issues, which include critical industrial base problems and severely delayed projects, such as the Pentagon's priority submarines. Phelan said one of his top priorities is to fix this shipbuilding issue, which is aligned with Trump's focus as well. The White House did not respond to Business Insider's request for comment on the texts Phelan mentioned. The texts would be on brand for the president, who took a keen interest in the look of Navy warships in his first term. In particular, he zeroed in on the new frigates and Ford-class carriers, calling some of the ship designs "terrible-looking" and "horrible." The president's former defense secretary, Mark Esper, wrote previously that Trump would gripe about the first-in-class aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford, saying that the island "looks really bad." He also said Trump said US warships were "ugly" compared to Russian vessels. In June 2020 near the end of his first term, Trump jokingly took credit for the look of the first of the Navy's guided missile frigate vessels. "The ships that they were building, they look terrible," the president said, adding that when he looked at the design, he said, "That's a terrible-looking ship, let's make it beautiful." He said he eventually received a "beautiful model" of the frigate that he called "like a yacht with missiles on it." Beyond the appearance of warships, Trump has also complained about ship engineering, most recently criticizing advanced systems on the Ford. Read the original article on Business Insider
