Early Ford carrier maintenance costs lower than planned, Navy says
By Megan Eckstein
Nov 28, 05:59 PM
ARLINGTON, Va. — The first-in-class aircraft carrier Gerald R. Ford may cost less over its life than planned because of reduced maintenance costs, a program manager said today at an American Society of Naval Engineers conference here.
Capt. Brian Metcalf said the new Ford carrier was designed with automation that allows for a smaller crew as well as improvements to the hull that will allow the ship to require three major docked maintenance availabilities during its lifetime, instead of the five required by the legacy Nimitz class.
In total, he said, the Ford class is now slated to cost about $5 billion per ship per year less than its predecessor, the Nimitz class. That exceeds the target of $4 billion per ship per year in savings.
He told Defense News lower maintenance costs account for the savings.
https://www.defensenews.com/naval/2023/11/28/early-ford-carrier-maintenance-costs-lower-than-planned-navy-says/