ThreeSix to ten people were injured in a fire that broke out onboard Russian aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov at a dock in Murmansk, northwest Russia. 120 square meters (1200 square feet)600 square meters (6000 square feet) of the carrier were on fire. In 2018, the same carrier had a 210 square foot hole after a …
The main justification for the Gerald Ford Super aircraft carriers was to increase the sortie rate 25% over the Nimitz class and a 25% reduction in manpower required to operate. The Ford carriers are costing over $13 billion each and have numerous problems with landing and launching aircraft, elevators and radar. The Nimitz Class has …
US Secretary Richard V. Spencer blames new multi-year delays for the next-generation Gerald Ford carrier on the budget cap limiting the spending to just over $13 billion. This is $2.5 billion over the original $10.5 billion budget. On 10 September 2008, the U.S. Navy signed a $5.1 billion contract with Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding in Newport …
USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) may not be ready to deploy until 2024. It once had a 2018 planned deployment date. There is more testing (shock testing) and there are still technical issues. The Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) carrier has cost over $13 billion. Navy Ford (CVN-78) Class Aircraft Carrier Program: Background and Issues for …
A new russian nuclear-powered cruise missile was likely the source of an explosion in northern Russia last week that killed 7 people. There was increased levels of radiation had been detected in areas near the site of last week’s explosion. Called the 9M730 Burevestnik by Russia and the SSC-X-9 Skyfall by NATO, the cruise missile …
The US Navy will begin reverting destroyers back to a physical throttle and traditional helm control system in the next 18 to 24 months, after the fleet overwhelmingly said they prefer mechanical controls to touchscreen systems in the aftermath of the fatal USS John S. McCain (DDG-56) collision. “When we started getting the feedback from …
The Large Surface Combatant program will replace the Ticonderoga-class cruiser and the DDG-51s but the start date for new ships has slipped from 2023 to 2026 or later. The US Navy wants new cruisers to host an air defense commander staff within the carrier strike group and for more large weapons, and to hold a …
The US Army will field 50 kilowatt (kW)-class lasers on a platoon of four Stryker vehicles in 2022. They will support the Maneuver-Short Range Air Defense (M-SHORAD) mission. The directed energy M-SHORAD capability is intended to protect maneuvering Brigade Combat Teams from unmanned aerial systems (UAS), rotary-wing aircraft, and rockets, artillery and mortar (RAM). In …
China’s Navy now outnumbers the US Navy by 300 ships to 287 ship. The US ships are still much larger and more powerful and about 100 of China’s ships are coastal frigates and corvettes. The frigates and corvettes are really a stronger Coast Guard. China needs a stronger coast guard because of the many ships …
Medium voltage (about 12000 volt) DC power distribution that is reliable and affordable is the key to having the power for futuristic technology like railguns and electromagnetic launchers.
The new Gerald Ford Aircraft carrier has been delayed to repair Ford’s nuclear propulsion system, Advanced Weapons Elevators and software. The carrier will be capable of carrying up to 90 aircraft, including the F-35 stealth fighter, F18 super hornet fighters and more. Sortie rates for the Gerald Ford will increase to 160 sorties a day …
