Last Tuesday, U.S. Navy officials presented a concerning report to Congress regarding the construction of the Navy’s new aircraft carriers, highlighting a series of sustained delays and cost increases that are hindering the program’s progress. Specifically, attention is focused on the construction process of the upcoming hulls of the new Ford-class carriers, which, according to officials, is taking longer than originally planned.
In this case, Rear Admiral Casey Moton, the current Program Executive Officer for Aircraft Carriers, was responsible for informing U.S. lawmakers of these issues. Regarding delivery schedule delays, the report focused on the future USS John F. Kennedy (CVN-79) and USS Enterprise (CVN-80), while the matter of rising costs also includes the future USS Doris Miller (CVN-81).
Expanding on some details, it’s worth recalling that the first of the future carriers mentioned is already in the final stages of construction (reportedly 95% complete), although it still faces critical challenges with the integration of advanced weapons elevators and the advanced arresting gear on the flight deck. These issues impact the delivery timeline of the second vessel, which is now facing a potential delay of around 28 months, up from a previous estimate of 18 to 26 months. In terms of cost, the U.S. Navy has projected the new carriers to cost USD 12.9 billion, 13.5 billion, and 14 billion respectively.
Quoting Rear Admiral Moton: “Key pieces of material are arriving late to the ship, which causes delays in the critical path and forces the shipbuilder to adjust our primary build cycle (…) We are doing everything possible with the shipbuilder to improve that forecast.”
Voices of concern from senators were quick to follow, particularly from Republican Senator Rick Scott, who expressed frustration at the multiple companies that failed to meet their contractual obligations and urged the Navy to explore sanction mechanisms. Additionally, the conversations touched on the possibility that the previously mentioned costs may increase further in the future, given the (yet undefined) impact of the Trump administration’s tariff policies; although it was noted that most components used in the construction of the Navy’s future vessels are domestically sourced.
Lastly, a brief overview of the features of the Ford-class aircraft carriers: these ships have a length of 333 meters and a beam of 77 meters, supporting over 100,000 tons of displacement. Each unit will be equipped with AN/SPY-3 and AN/SPY-4 radars, RIM-162 ESSM and RIM-116 RAM launchers, four .50 caliber M2 machine guns, and three Phalanx CIWS as their primary armament. In terms of aircraft capabilities, available information indicates that the carriers can accommodate up to 90 platforms, including F/A-18E/F Super Hornets, F-35s, SH-60 Seahawks, and E-2 Hawkeye early warning aircraft, among others.
Images used for illustrative purposes only
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