Navy gets its Ford: $12.9 billion aircraft carrier delivered

NORFOLK, Va. – The U.S. Navy has officially received the first of a whole new class of aircraft carriers.

The Navy announced Thursday that the USS Gerald R. Ford will now go through various workups at sea before becoming operational in 2020.

Delivery of the $12.9 billion carrier by Newport News Shipbuilding follows delays, cost overruns and issues with new technology, including a magnetic catapult system to launch jets.

President Trump told Time magazine last month that the Navy should go back to using steam catapults because the new system is “no good” and costs hundreds of millions of dollars more.

The Navy has declined to comment on Trump’s comments. It says the new technology can increase flying missions by a third.