US Navy, August 30 — US Navy’s latest Gerald Ford-class aircraft carrier project under review by Pentagon. Among cited issues are “performance of key systems aboard” reports USNI (via August 23 memo obtained by USNI).
Estimated cost is $12.8 billion according to nationalinterest.org
The article continues listing some of the project related issues citing “Transformation” doctrine of early 2000s under which many latest, bleeding-edge systems were to be used – and unproven.
It is interesting how this particular project review coincides with the fact that Russian 3M22 Zircon anti-ship hypersonic (speeds mach 5-6) missiles are to go into serial production in 2018. Read this as a system of direct threat to entire carrier groups.
These are newest generation of anti-ship missiles as an addition to already vast Russian arsenal. See P-800 Oniks/Yakhont, Brahmos, etc. These are some of the issues to think about.
Read the full article at USNI.