HII completes first planned incremental availability for USS Gerald R. Ford
Ford-class aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) departs HII's Newport News Shipbuilding division on Friday, Feb. 25, 2022 after its planned incremental availability. (Photo: HII)
USS Gerald R. Ford will embark on its first deployment in late 2022.
On 1 March, Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) announced its Newport News Shipbuilding division had completed the first planned incremental availability (PIA) for the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78).
The PIA involved six months of modernisation and maintenance work to ensure the carrier has the most ‘current’ upgrades ahead of its planned maiden deployment this year.
PIA began in September 2021 following full ship shock trials and a post-delivery testing and trials period.
Three further Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carriers, the future USS John F. Kennedy, Enterprise, and Doris Miller, are currently under construction and Newport News Shipbuilding.
The shipyard is also conducting mid-life refuelling complex overhauls on two Nimitz-class aircraft carriers, USS George Washington and John C. Stennis, – giving the ships another 25 years of service.
Related Equipment in Defence Insight
More from Naval Warfare
-
![Hanwha Ocean to build FFX Batch-IV frigates for South Korea]()
Hanwha Ocean to build FFX Batch-IV frigates for South Korea
Hanwha Ocean aims for consistency between Batch-III and Batch-IV, despite radical technological overhaul.
-
![Navantia signs deal to supply new Avante 2200 corvettes to Saudi Arabia]()
Navantia signs deal to supply new Avante 2200 corvettes to Saudi Arabia
The vessels are the latest additions to an ongoing supply arrangement for Saudi Arabia’s defence force.
-
![Naval Warfare Preview 2025: Billion-dollar programmes will advance but unpredictable forces muddy the waters]()
Naval Warfare Preview 2025: Billion-dollar programmes will advance but unpredictable forces muddy the waters
Large programmes around the world are likely to be immune to flux, but the impact of geopolitics could be unprecedented in 2025.
-
![Saab Sea Giraffe to protect Swedish Navy]()
Saab Sea Giraffe to protect Swedish Navy
The Swedish manufacturer will supply its Sea Giraffe 1X naval radar in a range of configurations.
-
![South Korean Destroyer fleet approved for US improvement programme]()
South Korean Destroyer fleet approved for US improvement programme
The US State Department has agreed to sell South Korea technology to keep its Destroyer fleet effective as a deterrent.
-
![STM to build logistics support vessels for Portuguese Navy]()
STM to build logistics support vessels for Portuguese Navy
The contract marks the first time the Turkish shipbuilder will build vessels for a NATO member state.
