Ford tests combat system equipment, concepts during first strike group operations

Aircraft carrier USS Gerald R Ford (CVN 78) has been testing combat system equipment and new concepts during its first fully integrated carrier strike group operations for the new carrier class, which started earlier this month.

Aircraft carrier USS Gerald R Ford (CVN 78) has been testing combat system equipment and new concepts during its first fully integrated carrier strike group operations. (Janes/Michael Fabey)

Under the leadership of Carrier Strike Group (CSG) 12, Ford , along with Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 8, Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 2, CSG-12’s Air and Missile Defence commander, commanding officer of guided-missile cruiser USS Gettysburg (CG 64), and CSG-12’s Information Warfare commander commenced drills on 8 November, the first time the entire strike group has operated together.

As part of those integrated operations – and taking advantage of the greater communications and information fusion capability offered with the Ford-class design – the strike group embarked a combat liaison officer from the cruiser aboard the carrier to provide greater communication between the ships, US Navy (USN) officials noted.

During the integrated CSG operations, CVW-8 executed cyclic flight operations while CSG-12 additional warfare commanders (including an embarked information warfare commander) conducted unit-level training, maritime strike exercises, an air-defence exercise, and other larger force exercises.

“Recent underway periods have provided my staff and my warfare commanders a greater understanding of how Ford and Nimitz-classes are similar and how they are different, but this underway will enable us to learn how we will fight the Ford-class,” noted Rear Admiral Craig Clapperton, commander, CSG-12.

The recent underway, though, will help the USN learn how to fight the Ford-class carriers.

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