Nimitz and Ford Carriers Need Upgrades to Deploy With F-35Cs

[rangerrebew]

Nimitz and Ford Carriers Need Upgrades to Deploy With F-35Cs
By: Ben Werner
June 6, 2019 3:37 PM • Updated: June 7, 2019 6:09 AM

 

This post has been updated with additional information from the Navy. The service has one aircraft carrier able to deploy with F-35C Lighting II Joint Strike Fighters, USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72).

Currently, the Navy only has one aircraft carrier — either Ford-class or Nimitz-class — that can support the service’s most advanced fighters for a full deployment, service officials told USNI News on Thursday.

Earlier this week, lawmakers expressed their frustration with the Navy for accepting delivery of Ford-class carriers before they can accommodate deploying with F-35C Lightning II Joint Strike Fighters, while considering the Fiscal Year 2020 National Defense Authorization Act. But the Navy currently has a single Nimitz-class carrier that can deploy with F-35Cs as well, USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72)

https://news.usni.org/2019/06/06/nimitz-and-ford-carriers-need-upgrades-to-deploy-with-f-35cs

[thackney]

Later part of the story gives a better description of the issues.

...Hernandez described the modifications as involving work to support the long-term deployment of F-35Cs, such as adding classified spaces to the carriers and installing more robust jet blast deflectors.

Each class of carrier is currently able to launch and recover F-35C Lightning II Joint Strike Fighters, the variant designed for catapult launching and arrested landing on carriers. Without the carrier modifications, the ships are unable to support an F-35C for more than a short visit....