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TMCNet: Questions swirl about new aircraft catapult systems for next carrier

[March 31, 2009]

Questions swirl about new aircraft catapult systems for next carrier

(Daily Press (Newport News, VA) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Mar. 31--Despite widespread concerns about a planned aircraft launching system for the Gerald R. Ford class of aircraft carriers, the Navy has given Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding a $43 million contract to begin purchasing equipment to support the new technology.

The new General Atomics-manufactured electromagnetic aircraft launching system, also known as EMALS, is key technology that will enable the Ford to launch more jets from the flight deck while reducing the carrier's weight and required manpower.

But shipyard and Navy officials -- as well as a cadre of industry observers -- have questioned whether the unproven system will be ready for implementation on the first ship of its class, which is due to be delivered to the Navy in September 2015.

The Navy confirmed Monday that it is conducting a formal review of the program to determine if it will proceed with its plans to build the system into the Ford.

"We're still conducting a review to assess and mitigate risks in the program cost, schedule and performance of EMALS," said Lt. Cmdr. Victor Chen, a Navy spokesman. "At this point, EMALS is still the launching system of record for (the Ford)." In a report released Monday by the Government Accountability Office, the launch system was listed as one of three new technologies that "present the greatest risk to the ship's cost and schedule." Problems during the early development of the launch system "have already resulted in cost growth and schedule delays," the GAO report said.

Further, the report warned, testing of the system will not be complete until at least 7 months after its installation on the Ford -- assuming there are no more delays.

Including advanced design work and initial acquisition costs, the price tag for the Ford already comes in at about $13.9 billion.

Recurring costs for future Ford-class ships will be about $8 billion, Navy officials have said. That $8 billion will also include all government-furnished equipment, such as EMALS, combat systems, radar, communications and other new equipment.

If EMALS is scrapped for the Ford, the shipyard would have to re-engineer the carrier to support the old steam-driven catapults used on previous ships.

That process, which includes running thousands of feet of new pipe to and from the Ford's propulsion system, could extend the construction schedule by up to a year and is expected to cost several hundred million dollars.

Shipyard officials have said if the new system isn't ready for the Ford, it will be implemented on following ships.

Signaling the shipyard's concern about the launch system, the GAO wrote that Northrop "anticipates changes to (the Ford's) design based on the results of EMALS testing." A Northrop spokeswoman said the company would not comment until it had a chance to review the report.

The Navy also is withholding comment on the GAO report until officials review it.

The GAO also said the shipyard will take a more direct role in managing the integration of the system on to the Ford by directly purchasing the equipment from the manufacturer.

Northrop maintains that EMALS is still government furnished.

Still, the company appears to be taking on more oversight of the program, as evidenced by the $43 million contract it received Friday. The equipment purchases that the award funds are to be constructed by General Atomics.

Working with the Navy, the shipyard said giving it the contract was the most "effective and efficient way" to purchase materials for the launch system, said Jennifer Dellapenta, a shipyard spokeswoman.

To see more of the Daily Press, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.dailypress.com.

Copyright (c) 2009, Daily Press, Newport News, Va.

Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.

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