The U.S. Navy has released video of its tests of the new USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier, blasting an area near the ship with thousands of pounds of explosives in tests that are known as “full ship shock trials.” One explosion was so powerful it registered as a 3.9 earthquake, according to U.S. Navy Institute News.
The tests were conducted on Friday of last week but the U.S. Navy has released six videos showing the powerful explosions. U.S. Navy Institute News compiled a compilation with several angles that’s available on YouTube, and the Navy released a video to its own YouTube channel with even more angles.
The explosions were conducted off the coast of Florida, and if you’re wondering about the environmental impact, the Navy assures everyone that the tests were done “within a narrow schedule that complies with environmental mitigation requirements, respecting known migration patterns of marine life in the test area.”
Make of that what you will. Needless to say, the Navy has gotten into trouble for less-than-friendly behaviour towards the environment. And we can’t believe exploding 18,000 kilograms of anything could be good for the Atlantic Ocean.
“The first-in-class aircraft carrier was designed using advanced computer modelling methods, testing, and analysis to ensure the ship is hardened to withstand battle conditions, and these shock trials provide data used in validating the shock hardness of the ship,” the Navy said in a statement over the weekend.
“The U.S. Navy has conducted FSSTs over several decades, most recently for the Littoral Combat Ships USS Jackson (LCS-6) and USS Milwaukee (LCS-5) in 2016; as well as for the San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock USS Mesa Verde (LPD-19) in 2008, the amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD 1) in 1990, and the guided-missile cruiser USS Mobile Bay (CG-53) in 1987. The last aircraft carrier to execute FSST was USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71) in 1987,” the Navy continued.
The ship will get a full assessment following the trials and undergo any needed repairs.