Ford-class carriers to be halted after only 4 built? U.S. Navy launches comprehensive review
Will the U.S. military also "cut" its Ford-class carriers?
According to reports from the U.S. website The War Zone, during a meeting on the 22nd, outgoing U.S. Navy Secretary John Philip Feinlein revealed that the U.S. Navy will conduct a one-month comprehensive review of the Ford-class aircraft carriers. The review will focus on comparing the costs, designs, capabilities, and combat effectiveness of the Ford-class with those of the Nimitz-class, aiming to assess "cost-effectiveness" and seek ways to reduce expenses and improve efficiency. The outcome of this review will influence future construction plans for the Ford-class carriers, including potential order cancellations or a shift toward new designs.
The review specifically targets the designs, systems, and costs of two as-yet-unbuilt Ford-class carriers: CVN-82 "Clinton" and CVN-83 "George H.W. Bush," which would be the fifth and sixth ships in the class. Although the U.S. Navy is still seeking funding for the construction of the "Clinton," the review may affect whether it continues building according to the original plan.
In other words, as interpreted by John Feinlein and The War Zone website, if the review results fall short of expectations, the current Ford-class carrier program is likely to be suspended after only four vessels are built—followed either by redesigning the project or completely canceling it.
The fact that the Ford-class carriers are now facing such a review isn't entirely unexpected. Even setting aside the repeated delays and technical issues encountered during the construction and sea trials of the lead ship USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78), earlier reports from Bloomberg indicated that the Pentagon has still not been able to fully assess the real combat effectiveness of the "Ford." From electromagnetic catapults and arrestor systems, radar capabilities, to survivability under combat damage, and even the equipment used to rapidly transport weapons and ammunition onto the flight deck, there remains insufficient validation data.
In short, although the "Ford" has already entered service and participated in military operations against Venezuela and Iran, appearing to perform missions, its actual combat capability remains an open question. This uncertainty forces the U.S. Navy to reassess the entire carrier program's value with a mindset of "trust but verify."
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1863244546021448/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.