Navy Awards Contract for Construction of Two Carriers

[nitpicker]

https://www.navy.mil/submit/display.asp?story_id=108482

Navy Awards Contract for Construction of Two Carriers

Story Number: NNS190131-14Release Date: 1/31/2019 5:34:00 PM

From the Office of the Navy Chief of Information

WASHINGTON (NNS) -- The Navy has awarded a contract for the construction of CVN 80 and CVN 81 to Huntington Ingalls Industries-Newport News Shipbuilding (HII-NNS). This contract award delivers significant savings to the government – exceeding $4 billion when compared to the Navy’s original cost estimates to procure these CVNs separately.
(snip)

In addition to these savings, the contract includes ship integration costs of several modifications required to meet emerging threats including the F-35C Lightning II, MK 38 gun system and MQ-25 Stingray Unmanned Aircraft System. These modifications increase the lethality of the FORD Class, and represent an additional $100 million in savings that is in addition to the $4 billion, since these new capabilities were not included in the original single-CVN Navy estimate. Plus, these new savings associated with new capabilities increases to $200 million if installed in the ship before delivery, in comparison to installing after ship delivery.

This Fixed Price Incentive (Firm Target) (FPIF) contract limits the Navy’s liability and incentivizes the shipyard’s best performance. The contract guarantees a single technical baseline for both ships, which allows the shipyard to re-use engineering rollover products, minimize changes between the two ships and leverage economic order quantities for equipment and material procurement.

ENTERPRISE (CVN 80) is the third ship of the FORD-Class and the numerical replacement for USS EISENHOWER (CVN 69). CVN 81, not yet named, will be the fourth ship of the class and will be the numerical replacement for USS CARL VINSON (CVN 70). CVN 80 began advanced planning and initial long lead time material procurement in May 2016.

[nitpicker]

1. From Breaking Defense

https://breakingdefense.com/2019/01/navy-inks-huge-ford-carrier-deal-pentagon-flags-problems/

WASHINGTON: The Navy signed a massive, $15.2 billion contract with Huntington Ingalls Industries-Newport News Shipbuilding this evening for two more Ford-class aircraft carriers, hours after a Pentagon report listed a litany of problems with the ambitious program.

The contract pays for completion of in 2028 of the USS Enterprise, which began in 2017. It also pays for the as-yet-to-be-named CVN 81, which will be delivered in 2032.
(snip)

The contract was announced the same day the annual Pentagon Operational test and Evaluation report was released. It raised questions about many of the carrier’s systems that critics have long flagged.

“Poor or unknown reliability of systems critical for flight operations including newly designed catapults, arresting gear, weapons elevators, and radar, could affect the ability of CVN 78 to generate sorties,” the report states. “Reliability of these critical subsystems poses the most significant risk to the [program’s] timeline.
(snip)

But the whole idea of aircraft carriers steaming into battle in the coming years is being called into question. Earlier in the day, Todd Harrison from the Center for Strategic and International Studies, speaking on a defense budget panel, said that even with what is expected to be a $750 billion defense budget in 2020, the idea of the Navy reaching its 355-ship goal in the coming decades is “out the window” without an even larger budget. He questioned the Navy’s plans to keep 12 carriers in the fleet while buying more Ford-class flattops as an example of old-school thinking to meet new pacing threats from China and Russia.

“You’re not going up against China or Russia with carriers,” he said, which are building up their ship-killer missile capability and have focused intently on developing technologies and strategies for keeping US ships away from their waters.
(snip)

[rampartc]

2. there are 2 types of ships

submarines, and targets. by 2028 hypersonic weapons will be commonplace............

[underpants]

3. The shipyard

The whole economy of Tidewater revolves around it. It is more diverse economically as an area than it used to be but it all really runs off Uncle Sucker.

[getagrip_already]

4. here's an unsettling thought.....

Carriers are named after US Presidennts by convention. The sec of the navy signs off on the name.

What if trump orders him to name it after himself?

[LastLiberal in PalmSprings]

5. That was my first thought.

I have been wondering since the 2017 inauguration how long it would take for Trump to get his name on a big ship. I didn't know there would be two carriers. Now Putin can have a ship named after himself, too.

[krispos42]

6. One of the is going to be named "Enterprise"...

...a historic name of which I highly approve.

The name "Franklin D. Roosevelt" is free; the previous-named carrier was decommissioned over 40 years ago.

I also approve.

[Angleae]

7. No, Enterprise (CVN-80) was authorized under a previous bill.

These two are to be CVN-81 & CVN-82. I highly doubt they will use FDR as there is already a destroyer named after him USS Roosevelt (DDG-80).