USS Kennedy blazes through sea trials, demonstrating advanced computer automation that promises to revolutionize carrier operations and crew efficiency.
by Kris Osborn, Warrior
The U.S. Navy is poised to operate “two” operational Ford-class carriers within the next few years, now the famous USS John F Kennedy (CVN-79) has exploded through its sea trials with reported success. It does not seem long ago when the USS Ford itself seemed “futuristic” and “far away,” yet the ship is now surging to the Middle East following its combat mission off the coast of Venezuela. Meanwhile, at the same time, the soon to be famous USS Kennedy is taking new steps in the activation, pre-commissioning process in anticipation of becoming fully operational in just the next several years. Additional integration, building and weapons interface will take place next as the ship prepares to once again hit the ocean for further preparations. The Kennedy may also go through what’s known as “shock trials,” wherein bombs are exploded near the ship to assess its defenses, survivability and overall ability to withstand nearby explosions.
Automation & AI progress
There were many reported successes associated with the USS Kennedy’s recently completed “sea trials,” as the expectation was it would demonstrate proficiency with many of the advanced technologies initially woven into the USS Ford. For instance, one of the early promises of the USS Ford was the advanced applications of computer automation, measurements and data analytics to reduce the crew size of the ship by as many as 900 sailors. By performing more tasks automatically through advanced computing and analytics, the USS Ford has been able to perform its functions with roughly 900 fewer crew members than the preceding Nimitz-class, something designed to streamline efficiency and save as much as $4 billion per carrier over the life of the ship.
US Navy experts and senior leaders analyzing the Kennedy sea trials report that indeed the computer automation performed as hoped for on the ship. Mr. Deron Hathaway, with Fleet Power Plant Engineering, Navy Nuclear Laboratory, has been in his current role for 30 years and was impressed with the changes he saw during his first time underway on a Ford-class aircraft carrier, according to a U.S. Navy essay on the USS Kennedy sea trials.
Navy Praises Ford-Class Computing
“I have been on a number of trials, but this steam plant impressed me in several ways,” said Hathaway. “The overall capability, the automation, the reduced workload on watch standers is a notable improvement from [the Nimitz-class aircraft carriers]. There has been plenty of learning in [Builder’s Sea Trials] and my team appreciated the hospitality from the crew and just bringing us in on this special occasion.”
Computer automation can reduce workload by conducting logistical tasks, checking equipment, taking measurements and organizing otherwise disconnected pools of critical maintenance information aboard the ship. Critical variables such as temperature, pressure, distance and sensor input information can be aggregated, organized and analyzed for human decision-makers to control. This reduces manual labor requirements and enables the ship to use more space for weapons, computing, advanced technologies and aircraft. In this respect, the addition of space supports the concept of operation woven into the Ford-class, as they are grounded in the idea of a larger-deck carrier able to operate with more aircraft and sustain a might higher op-tempo and sortie rate.
The Ford-class carriers need more space for weapons, electronics, command and control and, quite simply, attack aircraft given that the larger flight deck enables a 33-percent increase in sortie rate above that of the existing Nimitz-class carriers. More on-board power is needed as well, given that the Ford-class not only operates an electromagnetic catapult but also operates electric elevators and an entirely new generation of sensing, computing, electronics and command and control systems. In order to support all of this, the Ford-class carriers operate four on-board generators capable of delivering a total of more than 125 Megawatts, a paradigm-changing amount of on-board power.
Kris Osborn is the President of Warrior Maven – Center for Military Modernization. Osborn previously served at the Pentagon as a highly qualified expert in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army—Acquisition, Logistics & Technology. Osborn has also worked as an anchor and on-air military specialist at national TV networks. He has appeared as a guest military expert on Fox News, MSNBC, The Military Channel, and The History Channel. He also has a Masters Degree in Comparative Literature from Columbia University