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NEWPORT NEWS, Va. (AP) — A new, $12.9 billion aircraft carrier program will undergo a 60-day review after a key Pentagon official expressed concerns about critical systems on the ship.
The first-in-its-class Gerald R. Ford is currently being tested at Newport News Shipbuilding. The second Ford-class ship, the John F. Kennedy, is under construction.
The Daily Press of Newport News (http://tinyurl.com/jg6mwue ) reports that the review was requested in a memo by Frank Kendall, a Department of Defense undersecretary and key weapons buyer. Kendall's memo expresses concerns about electromagnetic catapults that launch aircraft and the arresting gear that ensures pilots can land safely.
The Navy is pushing to deliver the Ford as soon as November while acknowledging the challenges of untested technology.
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Information from: Daily Press, http://www.dailypress.com/
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