Navy to accept CVN-78 delivery in April

The Navy will accept delivery of the next-generation aircraft carrier Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) in April, the service announced today.

The warship "is 99 percent overall complete with 93 percent of the test program complete (93 percent Hull, Mechanical & Electrical, 92 percent propulsion testing, and 93 percent electronics testing)," according to a Jan. 11 service statement. "Over the past few months, we have made significant progress resolving first-of-class issues associated with these critical systems and have resumed critical path testing in support of Builder's Sea Trials."

The Ford initially was to be delivered in March 2016 but has been delayed due to first-in-class issues.

"We're having regular conversations with the [Congress] and the [Chief of Naval Operations] about [ship delivery]," Naval Sea Systems Command chief Vice Adm. Thomas Moore told reporters in December. "I would expect by the end of the year here we'll be able to set a date certain of when we think the ship will be delivered."

Testing of the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System is complete and the Advanced Arresting Gear is more than halfway through its test program, according to Moore.