Aircraft Carrier USS Gerald R. Ford’s Magnetic Bomb Elevators Were Built to Lift 24,000 Pounds and They Have to Work. 68 Times Did Not Work
Summary and Key Points: On Nimitz-class aircraft carriers, the weapons elevators are hydraulically and cable-driven. Ford’s were redesigned around magnets to eliminate moving parts, reduce maintenance, and lift more than twice the load faster. But requirements changed while the ship was under construction, contractors missed deadlines, and Navy leaders, including the program executive officer, offered delivery dates that kept slipping, according to Forbes. Even after the Navy declared all 11 operational, the Pentagon’s testing office reported 68 operational mission failures in the first 14,842 elevator cycles, with three still in the manufacturer’s hands.
The Ford-Class Aircraft Carrier: A Key Concern
The Gerald R. Ford-class carriers are the most advanced in the world.
They were the first to introduce several new technologies, such as electromagnetic launch systems (EMALS) and advanced arresting gear (AAG), which, on paper, boosted their capabilities and sortie rates.
In practice, however, the Ford-class has been the most technically fickle, largely because of its technological complexity.
Much has been written about the USS Gerald R. Ford’s development troubles, particularly with the EMALS and AAG.
The carrier also struggled with its Advanced Weapons Elevators (AWEs), which initially could not move ordnance from the ship’s lower decks to the main flight deck.
The problems were not resolved until 2021, four years after Ford’s initial delivery.
(April 8, 2017) – Pre-Commissioning Unit Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) departs Huntington Ingalls Industries Newport News Shipbuilding for builder’s sea trials off the coast. The first- of-class ship—the first new U.S. aircraft carrier design in 40 years—will spend several days conducting builder’s sea trials, a comprehensive test of many of the ship’s key systems and technologies. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Ryan Litzenberger)
USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) successfully completed the second of three scheduled explosive events for Full Ship Shock Trials (FSST), July 16, 2021. The shock trials are designed to demonstrate the ship’s ability to withstand the effects of nearby underwater explosion and retain required capability. Ford is underway in the Atlantic Ocean for required inspections and preparation for the third FSST explosive event, scheduled for later this month. (U.S. Navy Photo by Mass Communications Specialist Seaman Jackson Adkins)
The aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) completes the first scheduled explosive event of Full Ship Shock Trials while underway in the Atlantic Ocean, June 18, 2021. The U.S. Navy conducts shock trials of new ship designs using live explosives to confirm that our warships can continue to meet demanding mission requirements under harsh conditions they might encounter in battle. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Zachary Melvin)
Building a New Set of Elevators
On older Nimitz-class carriers, traditional weapons elevators use a combination of hydraulics and cables to raise and lower the elevator platforms.
These systems work well, but according to Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA), the older systems are slower and require more maintenance than the new systems aboard Ford.
The newer weapons elevators move using magnets.
The idea is to reduce the number of moving parts in the system, cutting costs and maintenance requirements.
They were designed to move 24,000 lbs of ordnance at 150 feet per minute, compared with the older elevators, which could transport only 10,500 lbs at 100 feet per minute.
The new Advanced Weapons Elevators would, in theory, raise the number of combat sorties launched from the Ford-class by more than 30%.
Like many other systems aboard the Ford-class, the Advanced Weapons Elevators proved harder to integrate than first thought.
240105-N-LK647-1019 STRAIT OF GIBRALTAR (Jan. 5, 2024) A view from the Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruiser USS Normandy (CG 60) of the first-in-class aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78), as the Ford Carrier Strike Group passes through the Strait of Gibraltar, Jan. 5, 2024. Normandy is part of the Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group and is currently operating in the Mediterranean Sea, at the direction of the Secretary of Defense. The U.S. maintains forward-deployed, ready, and postured forces to deter aggression and support security and stability around the world. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Malachi Lakey)
According to a Congressional Research Service (CRS) report, the Navy and its contractors struggled to build and integrate the new systems.
The civilian contractors failed to deliver the elevators on time, forcing the carrier to instead operate at only partial capacity.
One of the main problems was that the requirements for the Ford-class changed while the ship was under construction, requiring changes to the weapons elevators.
In 2019, the Navy reported that only two of the eleven elevators were fully operational, with the rest either undergoing tests or failing to meet operational standards.
As a result, the ship could not carry or transport its ammunition, meaning it could not deploy.
Technical Difficulties and Unrealistic Expectations
Further compounding the issue were statements from senior Navy personnel who either downplayed the problem or set unrealistic deadlines for delivering the elevators.
In January 2019, for example, the Navy Secretary Richard Spencer told President Trump during his first term that if the Advanced Weapons Elevators were not functional by midsummer, then the President could fire him.
By summer, Spencer admitted that the elevators would likely remain unfinished until 2021 or 2022.
Forbes also reported that Rear Admiral James P. Downey, Program Executive Officer for Aircraft Carriers, gave overly optimistic delivery timelines for the ship’s elevators.
By mid 2021, four Advanced Weapons Elevators were still undelivered. All elevators finally reached operational status in December 2021.
“This is a significant milestone for the Navy, ship, and her crew.” The drama surrounding Ford’s elevators seemed over.
However, in 2022, the Director of Operational Test and Evaluation (DOT&E) still identified the Advanced Weapons Elevators as a concern in its FY2022 report.
“While all 11 AWEs have been installed, only 8 of the 11 have been formally delivered to the Navy. The other three are installed, but still the responsibility of the manufacturer.” The report continues, “Through the first 14,842 elevator cycles, 68 operational mission failures were reported. AWE system reliability will be critical as the Navy completes delivery of the remaining three elevators and develops standard procedures for moving ordnance from magazines to the flight deck.” It is unclear whether DOT&E wrote this report before or after the reported AWE deliveries in December 2021.
Learning From Hard Experience
Unfortunately, the AWEs were only part of the many problems with Ford.
She was originally scheduled for delivery in 2015, but she suffered several mechanical reliability issues as the EMALS and AAG failed to meet their operational requirements.
When she was finally delivered in 2017, the carrier was missing several vital systems, including the elevators and her dual-band radar.
Although she was commissioned in 2017, Ford was not combat-ready until 2022, following the delivery of her AWEs.
Many of these problems stem from growing pains.
As the first of its class, Ford was the first carrier in the U.S. and the world to introduce new technologies like EMALS, AAGs, AWEs, and more.
While technical difficulties are to be expected for a first-of-its-kind ship, the Navy mismanaged Ford’s development.
The experience is now shaping the construction of John F. Kennedy (CVN-79).
If nothing else, Ford served as a test bed to see what does and doesn’t work aboard the Ford-class.
The Advanced Weapons Elevators are one example of an area where the Navy has had to revamp its approach.
The service hopes to apply the lessons learned from Ford to Kennedy.
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About the Author: Isaac Seitz
Isaac Seitz, a Defense Columnist, graduated from Patrick Henry College’s Strategic Intelligence and National Security program. He has also studied Russian at Middlebury Language Schools and has worked as an intelligence Analyst in the private sector.
