1st U.S. Navy Gerald R. Ford-Class Aircraft Carrier Gets Superlift Toward Completion

[Someoneforyou]

First Gerald R. Ford-Class Carrier Gets Superlift Toward Completion
UNITED STATES - 23 MAY 2011

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. --- Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78), the lead ship in the new class of U.S. Navy super carriers, took another step toward completion Saturday as Huntington Ingalls Industries erected a 945-ton superlift near the stern of the ship. Gerald R. Ford is being built using modular construction, a process where smaller sections of the ship are welded together to form large structural units called superlifts. These superlifts are pre-outfitted and then lifted into the construction dry dock with the shipyard's 1050-metric ton crane.

The superlift erected on Gerald R. Ford Saturday contains a diesel generator room, a pump room, an oily water waste pump room, 16 complete tanks and 18 partial tanks that will be completed when the superlift is welded to the rest of the ship. The superlift is assembled from 18 smaller structural units supplied by the steel fabrication and assembly division. It is one of 162 total superlifts that comprise the ship.

"This superlift has been constructed over the past 16 months by our talented shipbuilders," said Rolf Bartschi, vice president of the CVN 78 Program. "The quality of their work and the pride they have in constructing this great ship is inspirational. It is one of the heaviest superlifts we will construct and lift into the dock."

Gerald R. Ford represents the next-generation class of aircraft carriers. The Ford class features an enhanced flight deck with increased aircraft sortie rates, improved weapons movement, a redesigned island, a new nuclear power plant, electromagnetic catapults and growth margin for future technologies and reduced manning. The Gerald R. Ford's keel was laid Nov. 14, 2009, and the christening will occur in 2013 with delivery to the U.S. Navy in 2015. Long-lead material procurement for the second ship of the class, the currently unnamed CVN 79, began in 2009.

The superlift erected on the aircraft carrier Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) is one of the heaviest.
Newport News Shipbuilding will construct and lift into the dock.

Source: Huntington Ingalls Industries, Inc.

 

[Someoneforyou]

Huntington Ingalls Industries Awarded $504 Million Contract Modification for Gerald R. Ford
UNITED STATES - 29 JULY 2011

NEWPORT NEWS, Va., July 29, 2011 -- Huntington Ingalls Industries (NYSE:HII) received a $504 million cost-plus-incentive-fee contract extension to continue engineering work associated with construction of the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78).

The company's Newport News Shipbuilding division is the prime contractor. Work performed under the contract includes the continuation of design-related activities and integration and system analysis for non-propulsion plant work.

"This contract allows the company to complete the Gerald R. Ford class design and planning activities in support of the ship's construction," said Mike Shawcross, vice president, Gerald R. Ford class engineering and John F. Kennedy (CVN 79) construction. "The Ford's structure is nearly 50 percent erected in our No. 12 dry dock, and construction continues on schedule for delivery in 2015."

Gerald R. Ford, the lead ship in the new class of carriers, has been under construction at Newport News Shipbuilding since her keel laying in November 2009. The Ford class continues the legacy of highly capable U.S. Navy nuclear-powered aircraft carriers. The new class includes a redesigned island and an improved flight deck and weapons handling systems, all resulting in increased aircraft sortie generation rates. The ship will also include newly designed nuclear power plants, increased electrical power generation capacity, allowance for future technologies and reduced workload for the sailors, which translates to a smaller crew size and reduced operating costs for the Navy.


Source: Huntington Ingalls Industries

 

[Godless-Kafir]

Well you got to love the Yanks, even when they are drowning in debt they still spend millions on a sinking ship!

They wont cut their defense budget even if the rest of the world becomes non-violent transvestites!

 

[Crusader53]

Re: 1st U.S. Navy Gerald R. Ford-Class Aircraft Carrier Gets Superlift

Funny, on how easily some get offended. Yet, have no trouble offending others............makes you think.


As for what America spends on Defense. It is our choice of course and we believe the world is a safer place for it. Also, doesn't India spend billions on defense. Yet, it has millions of poor people that barely get by from day to day.........again makes you think.

 

[W.G.Ewald]

Re: 1st U.S. Navy Gerald R. Ford-Class Aircraft Carrier Gets Superlift

Well you got to love the Yanks, even when they are drowning in debt they still spend millions on a sinking ship!

They wont cut their defense budget even if the rest of the world becomes non-violent transvestites!

:shocked:

Defense.gov News Article: Panetta Discusses 2014 Defense Budget Request

The secretary stressed that the budget would find savings in overhead and efficiencies.

"We have identified $30 billion in new initiatives over the next five years to eliminate overhead and duplication," he said. The department will consolidate capabilities and look to new technologies for more savings.

In the budget, the secretary proposes another round of base closures and realignments. "We will have to because "¦ you can't have a huge infrastructure supporting a reduced force," he said.

The budget continues the glide path for reductions in land, naval and air forces detailed last year. Ultimately, the Army will go down to 490,000 active duty soldiers and the Marine Corps to 182,000 troops.

The department will propose some additional cuts to the Air Force and "we will resubmit some of our proposed cuts to the Navy," Panetta said. These are proposals that Congress rejected last year.