Tag Archives: General Atomics

Navy: CVN-79 Contract Has Lowest Ceiling Price Ever; R&D Investment Will Take Out Further Cost

Navy: CVN-79 Contract Has Lowest Ceiling Price Ever; R&D Investment Will Take Out Further Cost

Carrier Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) Upper Bow Lift. US Navy Photo

Carrier Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) Upper Bow Lift. US Navy Photo

The Navy’s recently awarded contract for the construction of the next aircraft carrier has the lowest price of any nuclear carrier (CVN) fixed-price contract, and for a ship that is much more complex and capable than its Nimitz-class predecessor, the program executive officer for aircraft carriers told reporters Monday morning. Read More

HII Awarded $4.29 Billion in Contracts for John F. Kennedy Carrier Construction

HII Awarded $4.29 Billion in Contracts for John F. Kennedy Carrier Construction

A composite photo illustration representing the Ford-class aircraft carrier, USS John F. Kennedy (CVN-79). US Navy Image

A composite photo illustration representing the Ford-class aircraft carrier, USS John F. Kennedy (CVN-79). US Navy Image

Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) awarded Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) $4.29 billion in contracts for the planned second Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carrier — John F. Kennedy (CVN-79) — amid promises for improved cost performance for the second carrier’s construction Read More

Updated: Navy Researching Firing Mach 3 Guided Round from Standard Deck Guns

Updated: Navy Researching Firing Mach 3 Guided Round from Standard Deck Guns

USS Ross (DDG-71) test fires the MK45 5-inch lightweight gun on April 30, 2015. US Navy Photo

USS Ross (DDG-71) test fires the MK45 5-inch lightweight gun on April 30, 2015. US Navy Photo

CORRECTION: This post has been updated to include a new statement from Naval Sea Systems Command that changes one previously given to USNI News revising the planned speed of hyper velocity projectile fired from a Mk 45 naval gun from Mach 5 to Mach 3.

The U.S. Navy’s deck guns could take on new relevance if ongoing tests to fire a guided round at three times the speed of sound from their muzzles are successful, USNI News has learned. Read More

PEO Carriers: Advanced Arresting Gear Delays Won't Stop Ford From Delivering On Time

PEO Carriers: Advanced Arresting Gear Delays Won’t Stop Ford From Delivering On Time

Pre-Commissioning Unit Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) transits the James River during the ship’s launch and transit to Newport News Shipyard pier three for the final stages of construction and testing in November 2013. US Navy photo.

Pre-Commissioning Unit Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) transits the James River during the ship’s launch and transit to Newport News Shipyard pier three for the final stages of construction and testing in November 2013. US Navy photo.

The program executive officer for aircraft carriers told USNI News he is confident the carrier USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) will deliver on time despite delays in the Advanced Arresting Gear (AAG) program. Read More

McCain Weighs in on UCLASS Debate, Current Navy Requirements ‘Strategically Misguided’

McCain Weighs in on UCLASS Debate, Current Navy Requirements ‘Strategically Misguided’

Northrop Grumman X-47B Unmanned Combat Air Systems Demonstration (UCAS-D). US Navy Photo

Northrop Grumman X-47B Unmanned Combat Air Systems Demonstration (UCAS-D). US Navy Photo

The chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) is calling on the Department of Defense and the Navy to develop a stealthy and lethal unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) for the Navy’s Unmanned Carrier Launched Surveillance and Strike (UCLASS) aircraft, according to a Tuesday letter to Secretary of Defense Ash Carter obtained by USNI News. Read More

NAVSEA: Advanced Arresting Gear Design Flaw Delayed Testing Schedule Two Years, Adds Risk to On Time Ford Carrier Delivery

NAVSEA: Advanced Arresting Gear Design Flaw Delayed Testing Schedule Two Years, Adds Risk to On Time Ford Carrier Delivery

An artist's conception of an installed Advanced Arresting Gear (AAG) on a U.S. carrier. General Atomics Image

An artist’s conception of an installed Advanced Arresting Gear (AAG) on a U.S. carrier. General Atomics Image

WASHINGTON, D.C. — A design flaw in the system the Navy plans to help safely recover aircraft onboard its next generation Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) aircraft carrier has set testing for the program back two years and risks extending the delivery of the ship past its March 31, 2016 deadline, Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) officials told reporters on Thursday. Read More