According to the U.S. Naval Society website, Admiral Daryl Cowdell, the head of the U.S. Navy, publicly praised the aircraft carrier efficiency of the “Ford” aircraft carrier, which is 20-30% higher than that of the “Nimitz” class aircraft carrier. The report noted that Cowdell‘s remarks came at a time when U.S. President Trump was demanding that the U.S. Navy modify the subsequent design of the “Ford” class aircraft carrier, including changing the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System on this latest U.S. aircraft carrier to a Steam catapult, which has caused great controversy. It is widely believed that Cowdell hoped to use these data to persuade Trump to change his previous mind.
According to the report, Cordell released a set of data at a “tail hook” association seminar held in Reno, Nevada: A four-day pressure test conducted in the Caribbean in February this year showed that the aircraft carrier efficiency of the “Ford”, previously criticized for the reliability of the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System, was equivalent to 120% to 130% of the “Nimitz” class aircraft carriers using the Steam catapult. According to data from the Pentagon‘s Office of Combat Testing and Evaluation, the aircraft carrier efficiency of the “Nimitz” class aircraft carriers was about 120 launches in 12 hours, with a peak of about 240 launches in 24 hours, from which it was calculated that the aircraft carrier efficiency of the “Ford” could reach a maximum of 156 launches in 12 hours and 312 launches in 24 hours.
Trump recently signed a national security memorandum instructing the U.S. Navy to redesign the fourth Ford-class nuclear-powered carrier, the Doris Miller (CVN-81), discarding the electromagnetic catapult system and advanced blocking devices and restoring traditional Steam catapults and hydraulic elevators. He also asked the Pentagon and the U.S. Navy to submit specific opinions within 60 days. In addition, U.S. media also revealed that Trump wants to modify the island position of the Ford-class carrier, moving it forward from its current rear layout, “hoping the new carrier will look closer to his preferred World War II-era carrier design.”
Many U.S. naval experts say that Trump’s revisions will not only cost billions of dollars in additional redesign costs, result in significantly extended delivery cycles for carriers, but will also affect the carrier’s actual combat capability. For example, the current rear-end islands are for efficiency and safety considerations, providing more parking space for aircraft carriers and improving landing safety; the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System could also theoretically improve the mobilization efficiency of aircraft carriers, thereby enhancing the carrier’s combat capability.
According to the Naval Academy website, Cordell acknowledged that the USS Ford had previously been unsatisfactory on issues such as reliability, but emphasized that “this was because the carrier integrated too many new technologies” and that these problems were now being gradually resolved with continuous improvements – as the latest stress test results prove. He also said that the USS Ford‘s aircraft carrier mobility rate greatly exceeded that of the traditional Nimitz class carriers, a result that “is not only due to the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System and blocking devices, but also the combined result of all the new technologies – the entire system has played a role”, including the redesigned flight deck layout, weapons elevators, and so on. These are precisely the parts that Trump has called for the replacement of subsequent Ford-class models.
Cowdell also said that Trump was concerned about the reliability of the new “Ford”-class carrier system and that the U.S. Navy needed to provide complete information. “If we are really going to reconsider the Steam catapult and hydraulic elevator, then we must fully understand the associated costs of making such a major design change.”