The USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) successfully completed its first scheduled explosive event as part of Full Ship Shock Trials Friday, June 18.
The first-in-class aircraft carrier departed Naval Station Norfolk on Monday for the shock trials, which are being conducted on the East Coast.
During those trials, the Ford will be tested with live explosives to ensure the new ship design is battle-ready and can survive after exposure to an underwater shock.
The Ford is the first aircraft carrier to undergo FSSTs since the USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) in 1987.
When it completes FSST later this summer, it will enter a Planned Incremental Availability for six months of modernization, maintenance and repairs before its operational employment.
