More trouble for aircraft carrier Gerald R. Ford

Sea trials for nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Gerald R. Ford have been delayed again as the ship’s main turbine generators require fixes.

By U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Second Class Aidan P. Campbell [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Testing on the No. 2 main turbine generator (MTG) on Jun. 12 resulted in serious damages to the generator. The No. 1 MTG was damaged as well during testing in July. The root case for both cases were found to be faulty voltage regulators.

While fixes for both generators have been developed, there is a debate whether to carry out those repairs before sea trials or after commissioning.