Construction
On September 10, 2008 the US Navy signed a $5.1 billion contract with Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding in Newport News, Virginia, to design and construct the carrier. Northrop had begun advance construction of the carrier under a $2.7 billion contract in 2005. The carrier is being constructed at the Northrop Grumman Newport News Shipbuilding facilities in Hampton Roads, Virginia, which employs 19,000 workers.
The keel of the new warship was ceremonially laid on November 14, 2009 in Dry Dock 12 by Ford's daughter, Susan Ford Bales. Said Bales in a speech to the assembled shipworkers and DoD officials, "Dad met the staggering challenges of restoring trust in the presidency and healing the nation's wounds after Watergate in the only way he knew how — with complete honesty and integrity. And that is the legacy we remember this morning."
As of August 2011, the carrier was reported to be "structurally halfway complete". In April 2012, it was said to be 75 percent complete. On May 24, 2012, the important mile-stone of completing the vessel up to the waterline was reached when the critical lower bow was lifted into place. This was the 390th of the nearly 500 lifts of the integral modular components (from which the vessel is assembled) that the ship's construction will ultimately require. On October 8, 2012, the carrier reaches over the 88 percent of the complete structural construction. Huntington Ingals reports (in a Nov. 8, 2012 GLOBE NEWSWIRE press release) that they have "Reached 87 percent structural completion of CVN-78 Gerald R. Ford". By December 19, 2012, construction had reached 90 percent structural completion.
The island is scheduled to "land" in 2012. It is scheduled for launch (i.e. christening) in 2013 and delivery in 2015.
Read more about this topic: USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78)
Famous quotes containing the word construction:
“No construction stiff working overtime takes more stress and straining than we did just to stay high.”
—Gus Van Sant, U.S. screenwriter and director, and Dan Yost. Bob Hughes (Matt Dillon)
“Striving toward a goal puts a more pleasing construction on our advance toward death.”
—Mason Cooley (b. 1927)
“The construction of life is at present in the power of facts far more than convictions.”
—Walter Benjamin (1892–1940)