Gerald R Ford News

HII announced today that its Newport News Shipbuilding division (NNS) recently began topside testing of the electromagnetic aircraft launch system (EMALS) on aircraft carrier John F. Kennedy (CVN 79).EMALS, first integrated into USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78), replaces the existing steam catapults currently in use on the U.S. Navy’s Nimitz-class aircraft carriers.Following successful “no-load” testing on catapults one and two, known as the ‘bow cats,’ the NNS team, alongside the John F. Kennedy crew, has now started “dead-load” testing.

HII announced its Newport News Shipbuilding division has begun production at an additional campus in Norfolk, Va. to support the shipyard’s continued progress toward more effective and efficient shipbuilding.The Newport News Shipbuilding Norfolk Campus is located on land leased from Fairlead in the Lambert’s Point area, at a development known as Fairwinds Landing. NNS shipbuilders have worked at the site for several months constructing steel panels that will eventually make up units of Gerald R.

HII announced Monday that its Newport News Shipbuilding (NNS) division has been awarded a contract from the U.S. Navy to support maintenance of nuclear-powered aircraft carriers in San Diego. The indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity (IDIQ), cost-plus incentive and award contract has a potential value of $528.4 million over five years, if all options are exercised.The contract covers maintenance, repair and modernization efforts for Nimitz- and Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carriers home-ported in and visiting the San Diego area.

The Navy wants, and needs, more ships; but it can’t build them fast enough.While the U.S. Navy aims to achieve a 355-ship fleet, it is decommissioning older (and some not so old) ships at about the same rate it's adding new ones.A Congressional Research Service report stated that, as of April 17, 2023, the Navy included 296 battle force ships. "The Navy projects that under its FY2024 budget submission, the Navy would include 293 battle force ships at the end of FY2024 and 291 battle force ships at the end of FY2028."But there is progress…

Mobile, Ala. shipbuilder Austal USA has been awarded a $71,706,745 fixed-price incentive contract option from the U.S. Navy for the construction of an additional Navajo-class Towing, Salvage and Rescue Ship (T-ATS 15).With the award, the company is now under contract for five T-ATS, having received awards for T-ATS 13 and 14 in July 2022 and T-ATS 11 and 12 in October 2021.Paddy Gregg, CEO of Austal USA's Australian parent company Austal, said the contract award again highlights Austal USA’s growing steel shipbuilding capability…

The world's largest aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, sailed into Oslo on Wednesday, a first for such a U.S. ship, in a show of NATO force at a time of heightened tension between NATO and Russia over the war in Ukraine.The ship and its crew will be conducting training exercises with the Norwegian armed forces along the country's coast in the coming days, the Norwegian military said."This visit is an important signal of the close bilateral relationship between the U.S.

U.S. shipyards are making improvements to building ships for the Navy and Coast Guard today and in the future. In some cases, it means phasing out one class of ship and getting ready for the next. Or, it can be a drastic make-over.The yards include mid-tier yards all the way up to very large facilities devoted exclusively to warships. The ships range from the 353-ton Fast Response Cutter to the 100,000-ton nuclear-powered aircraft carriers. Fincantieri Marinette Marine in Wisconsin…

As a rudderless U.S. Navy debates maritime strategy, fleet futures and platform performance, America’s naval shipbuilding industry can look forward to another year of relative stasis.Barring a major geopolitical incident or unexpected maritime provocation, government shipbuilding isn’t going to change course. With Admiral Michael Gilday approaching the final “lame duck” year of his four-year term as Chief of Naval Operations and the 2024 election season looming, the prospect for major changes in the Navy’s demand signal seems limited.Aside from the U.S.

America's largest military shipbuilder Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) announced on Tuesday that Karey Malyszko has been promoted to vice president of Plant Operations at its Newport News Shipbuilding division in Newport News, Va. Malyszko succeeds Dru Branche who retired in December.Effective immediately, Malyszko assumes overall responsibility for waterfront support services, facilities, environmental health and safety, and security. She reports to Jennifer Boykin, president…

RIX Industries, developer of energy technologies and industrial power systems, announced it has secured a $1.6 million contract award from the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA), the nation’s combat logistics support body within the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD). The contract stipulates the purchase of spare RIX liquefier modules for the U.S. Navy’s existing shipboard-qualified liquid oxygen (LOX) production systems, also from RIX. These LOX units, currently deployed onboard USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) and USS John F.

“Synergy” is an overused word. But in the case of the “Advanced Naval Technology Exercises” that are held around the country, ANTX is truly a sum greater than its parts.ANTXs are conducted by the Naval Research & Development Establishment (NR&DE) and hosted at the various Naval Warfare Centers to demonstrate emerging technologies and innovations aimed at solving Navy and Marine Corps problems and addressing mission priorities and gaps. They are not so much exercises, which usually denotes training, but more like technology demonstrations.

A steel cutting ceremony was held on Wednesday for the U.S. Navy’s newest nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Doris Miller (CVN 81).Slated to be the fourth Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carrier, CVN 81 is currently under construction at Huntington Ingalls Industries' Newport News Shipbuilding shipyard in Newport News, Va. Doris Miller’s keel is scheduled to be laid in 2026 and delivered to the Navy in 2032.Doris Miller is the second ship of the two-carrier contract award HII received in January 2019 for the detail design and construction of the Gerald R.

The U.S. Navy's new aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) on Monday underwent its third explosive event off the coast of Jacksonville, Fla., rounding out the ship’s Full Ship Shock Trials (FSST) and validating its shock hardness and ability to sustain operations in a simulated combat environment using live ordnance. During the four-month testing evolution, the first-in-class aircraft carrier withstood the impact of three 40,000-pound underwater blasts, released at distances…

Huntington Ingalls Industries (NYSE:HII) hosted commencement exercises on Saturday, April 17, 2021, for 154 graduates of the company’s Apprentice School at Newport News Shipbuilding. Due to the COVID-19 environment, and in an effort to keep all employees, staff, graduates and their guests safe, the ceremony was held outdoors at the Hampton Roads Convention Center in Hampton.“A drive-in movie-style graduation is likely not what you expected, but I think it’s pretty safe to say that the past year in many ways isn’t what any of us expected…

USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78), the only carrier qualification (CQ) asset regularly available on the East Coast this year, commenced its second round of CQs for Fleet Replacement Squadron (FRS) pilots May 10, with a healthy and mission-focused crew.Ford, operating at-sea at the same time as four other U.S. aircraft carriers, is conducting its fourth independent steaming event (ISE) since commencing an 18-month Post Delivery Test and Trials (PDT&T) phase of operations in November…

Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) announced changes to its leadership team at its Newport News Shipbuilding division, effective March 13.Julia Jones was promoted to vice president of manufacturing and facilities, where she is responsible for all manufacturing and facilities operations. She has served as the acting vice president since January. Jones has more than 22 years of shipbuilding experience, including positions of increasing responsibility in operations, planning, manufacturing, nuclear support and corporate strategic planning.

Huntington Ingalls Industries (NYSE: HII) has announced that Secretary of Defense Mark Esper visited the company’s Newport News Shipbuilding division and the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78). This was Esper’s first visit to the shipyard since he was sworn in to lead the U.S. Department of Defense in July.Esper toured Ford to see the progress being made during the ship’s post-shakedown availability and to learn more about its weapons-handling innovations and increased warfighting capabilities.“Our shipbuilders play a vital role in building our Navy’s future fleet…

Huntington Ingalls Industries' Newport News Shipbuilding division lifted the upper bow section onto one of the new aircraft carrier being built for the U.S. Navy, signalling the completion of the ship's flight deck.The addition of the upper bow section is one of the last steel structural units, known as a superlift, to be placed on the newbuiild, John F. Kennedy (CVN 79). Weighing 780 tons, the superlift took 18 months to build. It was constructed using digital technology, such as visual work instructions to install piping in the upper bow on the final assembly platen instead of on the ship.“We are very pleased with the progress being made on Kennedy as we inch closer to christening the ship later this year,” said Mike Butler, Newport News’ CVN 79 program director.

The U.S. Navy’s newest aircraft carrier has returned to Huntington Ingalls Industries’ Newport News Shipbuilding division for 12 months of modifications, upgrades, system improvements and repairs.On Sunday USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) was moved to the shipyard’s Pier 3, where it will undergo a maintenance period typical of newly delivered warships.The $13 billion USS Gerald R. Ford, commissioned July 22, 2017, is the first ship in the nation’s newest class of nuclear-powered aircraft carriers.

U.S. shipbuilder Huntington Ingalls Inc. has been awarded a $61,315,248 cost-plus-fixed fee modification to a previously awarded contract for additional material and labor supporting planning and the preliminary accomplishment of the post-shakedown availability/selected restricted availability (PSA/SRA) on USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78).The planning work will be performed in Newport News, Va., and is expected to complete by summer 2018. Preliminary accomplishment of PSA/SRA will be started at Naval Station Norfolk (20 percent)…

The next nuclear-powered aircraft carrier for the U.S. Navy is now three-quarters structurally complete following the recent installation of the forward area of the ship’s main deck, shipbuilder Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) announced today.John F. Kennedy (CVN 79), the second ship in the Gerald R. Ford class of carriers, has been taking shape at HII’s Newport News Shipbuilding division since the ship’s keel was laid in August 2015. The ship is being built using modular construction…

Matt Mulherin, former executive vice president of Huntington Ingalls Industries and president of Newport News Shipbuilding, was recognized by the United States Navy League today as a 2018 recipient of its annual Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz Award. This award honors an industry leader who has demonstrated the leadership, statesmanship and dedication to the nation that were exhibited by the award’s namesake. Mulherin, who retired from the company in July 2017 after a distinguished 36-year career…

The U.S. Navy asked shipbuilder Huntington Ingalls Industries on Monday for detailed pricing on the cost of two aircraft carriers, showing the Trump administration is taking a serious look at doubling its order for the most expensive ship in the U.S. fleet. The Navy’s request seeks to determine the savings achievable with a two-ship buy. “This opportunity for a two-ship contract is dependent on significant savings that the shipbuilding industry and government must demonstrate,” said James Geurts, assistant secretary of the Navy for research development and acquisitions.