Launch System Issue Prevented Jets Flying on Ford Carrier During Tests

A fault in the Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier’s launch system prevented jets from taking off during a five-day test held by the U.S Navy between June 2-7.

The Ford was at sea for testing of communications and data systems, as well as flight operations, but was unable to launch planes for five days, the Navy said in a release.

“On June 2, just prior to a scheduled flight deck operation cycle, the ship’s Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS) went down. Loss of EMALS curtailed flight operations to some extent, but the Strike Group, ship, and air wing team still accomplished significant goals scheduled for the Ford-class aircraft carrier. After several days of troubleshooting and assessing a fault in the launch system’s power handling elements, embarked EMALS experts and Ford’s crew restored the system to enable the safe fly-off of the air wing on Sunday morning, June 7,” the Navy said.

The cause of the fault remains under investigation.

The aircraft carrier, at 1,106 feet in length, was commissioned in 2017 and remains in 18-month Post-Delivery Test and Trial phase (PDT&T) in the Atlantic Ocean.

Following the CVW-8’s fly-off on Sunday, Ford will return to port as planned and continue PDT&T scheduled events.

The issue with the launch system is the latest problem in the warship's history. In 2013, construction costs were estimated at 22% over budget. Problems with the Ford’s nuclear propulsion system and munitions elevators pushed construction costs to over $13 billion, making it the most expensive warship ever built. Delivery of the ship was also delayed by over a year.