Navy replaces troubled part on Ford carrier after test cancelation

[Tony]

WASHINGTON — A key system on aircraft carrier Gerald R. Ford forced the cancelation of an at-sea test in August, but the ship successfully completed an overseas mission in the fall after the U.S. Navy installed a new replacement part.

A Pentagon test and evaluation office noted in a January report the Ford’s jet blast deflector — the large panel that raises just before a jet is catapulted off the flight deck to protect the ship and sailors from intense heat — was among the systems with ongoing reliability problems that hindered the ship from reaching its promised efficiency.