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Monday, August 12, 2024

Ford Class Notes

Here’s some tidbits pertaining to the Ford class, as noted in the recent CRS report.[1]
 
 
Carriers – The Navy is statutorily (10 U.S.C. 8062(b)) required to maintain 11 operational carriers.  Note that one (now, two due to chronic maintenance delays) carrier is always in long term overhaul so we only have 10 (now 9) operational carriers.  Note that the Navy’s own 30 year plan indicates that the Navy would operate less than the mandated 11 carriers for over half of the 30 year period of the plan.  This is blatant disregard for Congressional mandates.
 
Air Wings – The Navy is statutorily (10 U.S.C. 8062(e)) required to maintain 9 air wings.  The original statute required 10 air wings but Congress acceded to the Navy’s request for 9.
 
Early Retirement – The Navy is statutorily (10 U.S.C. 8062(g)) prohibited from retiring a nuclear carrier prior to its first refueling.  This was implemented in response to the Navy’s attempt to early retire Nimitz class carriers prior to their refueling.
 
CVN-79 John F. Kennedy – CVN-79 has already exceeded its cost cap and the Navy has revised the cap upward.
 
CVN-80 Enterprise – The Navy now estimates that CVN-80 delivery will be delayed 18-26 months.
 
CVN-81 Doris Miller – The Navy estimates the cost of CVN-81 to be $14B.
 
Cost Cap – The provisions that established and later amended the cost caps are listed below.  Note the continual increases in cap levels.  It’s not really a cap if it’s continually increased, is it?
 
Section 122 of the FY2007 National Defense Authorization Act (H.R. 5122/P.L. 109-364 of October 17, 2006) established a procurement cost cap for CVN-78 of $10.5 billion … and a procurement cost cap for subsequent Ford-class carriers of $8.1 billion each …
 
Section 121 of the FY2014 National Defense Authorization Act (H.R. 3304/P.L. 113-66 of December 26, 2013) amended the procurement cost cap for the CVN-78 program to provide a revised cap of $12,887.0 million for CVN-78 and a revised cap of $11,498.0 million for each follow-on ship
 
Section 122 of the FY2016 National Defense Authorization Act (S. 1356/P.L. 114-92 of November 25, 2015) further amended the cost cap for the CVN-78 program to provide a revised cap of $11,398.0 million for each follow-on ship in the program
 
Section 121(a) of the FY2018 National Defense Authorization Act (H.R. 2810/P.L. 115-91 of December 12, 2017) further amended the cost cap for the CVN-78 program to provide a revised cap of $12,568.0 million for CVN-80 and subsequent ships in the program … The cap for CVN-79 was kept at $11,398.0 million … The provision also amended the basis for adjusting the caps for inflation, and excluded certain costs from being counted against the caps.
 
Section 121 of the FY2020 National Defense Authorization Act (S. 1790/P.L. 116-92 of December 20, 2019) further amended the cost cap for the CVN-78 program to provide revised caps of $13,224.0 million for CVN-78, $11,398.0 million for CVN–79, $12,202.0 million for CVN–80, and $12,451.0 million for CVN–81. The provision directs the Navy to exclude from these figures costs for CVN–78 class battle spares, interim spares, and increases attributable to economic inflation after December 1, 2018.
 
 
Discussion
 
What these notes demonstrate is the blatant disregard the Navy has for Congress’ wishes (and laws!).  Most of these legal mandates are the result of the Navy ignoring Congress’ directives.  The problem is that there are no consequences for the Navy’s disregard of Congress.  New laws need to have statutory criminal penalties associated with them.  Currently, the Navy can ignore Congress and there is no criminal penalty.  A minimum penalty for failure to meet Congress’ mandates should be termination from service, forfeiture of pay and pension, and a year in jail for everyone associated with a particular failing, beginning with the CNO and moving down the line.  Perhaps that would encourage compliance with Congress’ wishes.
 
To be fair, Congress is not blameless in this, by any means.  Congress keeps appeasing the Navy by raising cost caps, approving flag positions, and increasing the Navy’s budget.  Congress needs to institute a moratorium on approval of flag positions until the Navy begins obeying Congress, hold firm on cost caps, and begin decreasing the Navy’s budget 10% per year until the Navy begins obeying Congress.
 
The Navy has forgotten that it serves Congress and the people, not the other way around.
 
 
 
[1]Congressional Research Service, “Navy Ford (CVN-78) Class Aircraft Carrier Program: Background and Issues for Congress”, 12-Jul-2024, RS20643

16 comments:

  1. Absolutely- it's as if you read my mind. Just days ago I had a few rants elsewhere saying almost exactly the same thing. As much as I love our Navy, it's like an out of control child, extremely overdue for discipline and punishment. And Congress can take some blame for being the poor parent that allowed it to get so off the chain...
    I believe that a majority of the things we discuss here would be non-issues, and we wouldn't have that much to talk about, if that Navy/Congress relationship was taken seriously, and both parties played their parent/child relationship properly.
    Those continues increases are cringe worthy btw- it's no wonder our population complains about defense spending in online venues so often, and targets it first for cuts!! ( of course the publics growing desire for entitlement programs free stuff and govts desire to provide it grows daily, but thats...discussion for elsewhere)

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    Replies
    1. "we wouldn't have that much to talk about"

      Uh oh! That doesn't bode well for a certain blogger. I may have been too hasty calling for accountability!

      Delete
    2. Well as a consolation, if you cause reform of the Navy, you'll likely have one of the most well-earned retirements known to man!!🤣

      Delete
  2. I agree that criminal penalties are warranted. The problem is finding people willing to enforce them. I assume that these penalties would be outside of the military structure? I think we all know that if they were handled within they wouldn't go anywhere. Even so, I have a hard time believing that the DOJ would go after flag officers who were likely installed by their boss, the president.

    Instead, I propose automatic penalties which kick in when certain conditions are met. For example, whenever the Navy doesn't have the requisite number of operational carriers, and automatic 10% budget cut kicks in for the next financial quarter. You could also have automatic suspensions for flag officers in responsible positions.

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  3. Here is an article about military spending from the Bulwark. https://www.thebulwark.com/p/best-kept-secret-2024-campaign-national-defense?r=331imd&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web

    Repeatedly here, how the Navy spends money is a huge topic.
    One such thing is the USS Ford and her other 3 carriers. Over cost, late on delivery, and barely functional. Like our desire for the latest and greatest in Subs. I don't fully understand why we don't go the way of AIP for some of our Pacific fleet fast attack. More subs for less money.
    Another thing I don't fully understand is why we are retiring subs that are good for a while longer. Why can't they be put into some sort of mothball condition, with the ability to reactivate in a few months time ?

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  4. USS Ford doesn't need refuel. Its high concentration fuel will last entire life of the ship.

    USS Kennedy was launched in Oct. 29, 2019 but has not yet started sea trial. In contrast, China Fujian launched in June 17, 2022. It started sea trial in May this year. So far, 3 sea trials have been conducted.

    Let's watch carefully if China's EMALS work or not. It uses different technology (DC power/supercapacitor energy storage) vs Ford Class (AC power/flywheel energy storage).

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    Replies
    1. Tell us more about "high concentration of fuel". I've never heard of that.

      I read in comments in other odd blogs that the US Navy is secretly converting the Ford's to supercapacitors since the flywheels break down after a few weeks and can't be repaired at sea. It hasn't told congress because this will cost a few billion dollars.

      Delete
    2. High % of U235, mainly from disassembled nuclear weapons.

      A/C power doesn't work with supercapacitor.

      D/C power has its own problem. Key is not pros but how you manage cons.

      Let's see if China's Fujian manage its EMALS well or not.

      Delete
    3. I'm unaware of a special, highly concentrated U-235 for the Ford's reactors. Do you have a link or reference?

      I'm also unsure whether the Ford's reactors are rated for a 50 yr, no refuel. I've seen conflicting public statements. Again, do you have a reference?

      "High % of U235, mainly from disassembled nuclear weapons."

      I've never seen this. Do you have a reference?

      Delete
    4. "I'm unaware of a special, highly concentrated U-235 for the Ford's reactors. Do you have a link or reference?"

      Yes, our naval reactors use highly enriched uranium. In fact, I believe it is not only highly enriched but REALLY highly enriched (weapons grade). Of course in a reactor it is in the wrong shape to achieve a nuclear detonation, so there's that.

      The uranium comes from the Y-12 complex at the Oak Ridge DOE facility. Here's their web page:

      https://www.y12.doe.gov/mission/naval-reactors#:~:text=Y%E2%80%9112%20processes%20highly%20enriched,Program%20for%20Naval%20Nuclear%20Propulsion.

      The reference includes the phrase "to fuel nuclear powered submarines and aircraft carriers".

      The Y-12 page also states that the uranium comes from dismantled weapons. This surprised me since I had believed that our weapons are at least mostly based on plutonium, not uranium. I guess you learn something every day.

      There has been pressure from the arms control and non-proliferation community to replace HEU with Low Enriched Uranium in naval reactors, although this would require new reactor designs. The navy has done some studies but it would be a long term thing. Here's a link to a paper from Princeton on this:

      https://sgs.princeton.edu/sites/default/files/2019-11/philippe-vonhippel-2016.pdf

      Delete
    5. USS Ford's A1B reactor uses 93.5% enriched uranium (93.5% U-235). I heard in a video that it can last whole life of USS Ford but cannot find source again.

      In other sources, some stated 25 years refuel while others 30+ years. There is no official data (Navy or HII) which I can find.

      Use HEU, new Columbia class submarines don't need mid-life refuel.

      Delete
    6. "Yes, our naval reactors use highly enriched uranium."

      Yes, this is standard. All USN reactors used enriched uranium. The question was whether the Ford A1B reactor uses some kind of special, further enriched fuel that gives it a 50 year life as was suggested in one of the comments?

      Delete
  5. "The Navy has forgotten that it serves Congress and the people, not the other way around."
    The Navy, Congress, all 3-letter agencies and the President have forgotten that. The incompetency and lack of accountability of the entire Federal Government have rendered it useless. We're a freight train headed over a cliff.

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  6. Nothing will happen until Congress actually takes steps to have its rules enforced. It seems to have other priorities, and not many of them have anything to do with defence against foreign powers.

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    Replies
    1. Congress itself is a problem. Many Congressmen work hard to divert money to their districts rather than manufacturers make most efficient arrangements.

      Delete
  7. In a prior post Robert Farley has an article where he mentions a Navy dilemma. That is they will stop purchasing more superhornets & and are hesitating to spend money on the F/A-XX gen 6 fighter. So now we see a trend to having smaller air wings aboard carriers. ( You also mention the F35 software issue. So what will the future air wing ,look like ? )

    ReplyDelete

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