U.S Navy Faces Delays In Delivery Of 2 Ford-Class Aircraft Carriers As Shipbuilding Industry Struggles

U.S. Navy’s aircraft carriers, namely the USS John F. Kennedy and USS Enterprise cannot be delivered until 2029, due to supply chain issues and other challenges such as a labour shortage.

Issues have also been reported with the elevators for moving munitions from below deck, and also aircraft launch and recovery systems.

These delays come at a time when the U.S faces Houthis in the Middle East and the dangers of a rapidly growing Chinese shipbuilding capacity.

The Gerald R. Ford is one of the most technologically advanced carriers, with advanced systems like the new Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS) which launches aircraft 30% quicker than previous systems. The Ford-Class is also designed to carry 100 aircraft.

These systems are costly and the USS Gerald R. Ford cost $13 billion.

The Navy intends to have 10 such carriers.

Hon. Nick Guertin, the Navy’s acquisition executive, said that ever since the COVID pandemic, the supply chain has struggled to get back on its fleet, leading to delays in getting parts or components for U.S. Navy ships.

Other ships, apart from Ford-Class carriers are also facing delays, one such being the lead ship in the Columbia class of nuclear submarines, the USS District of Columbia or SSBN-826, which faces a delay of up to 18 months.

Another issue is labour shortage and American shipbuilders are having trouble keeping workers for extended periods. Hiring and training new workers takes time and also valuable resources.

The Trump Government has identified that revitalising the nation’s shipbuilding sector is a top priority and he might appoint an office in the White Office to handle the issue.

Aircraft Carriers are important for the Navy to respond to growing crises and conflicts. As many of its old carriers have retired, the U.S. Navy is losing ships faster than it can build them.

Further delays could impact the navy’s tactical flexibility as it would have few carriers at its disposal to send on deployments, leading to longer deployments, which could adversely affect other carriers, and also crew morale.

References: USNI News, 19FortyFive

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