Navy’s $13 Billion Aircraft Carrier Had Launch System Failure

The U.S. Navy’s newest aircraft carrier experienced a failure of its electromagnetic launch system last week in the latest sign that the $13.2 billion vessel hasn’t fully resolved hurdles tied to its cutting-edge technology as it undergoes at-sea testing.

The system on the USS Gerald R. Ford -- which propels planes off the deck and into the sky -- “went down” June 2 just before a scheduled aircraft launch, the Navy said in a statement published late Sunday. The failure of the system, built by General Atomics, “curtailed flight operations to some extent,” according to the statement.

USS Gerald R. Ford

Photographer: Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Ridge Leoni/U.S. Navy via Getty Images

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