The U.S. Navy completed its three-part explosive shock trials on aircraft carrier Gerald R. Ford on Aug. 8, with no major casualties on the first-in-class ship and less damage to repair during an upcoming maintenance availability than expected, officials said. The third blast of the full-ship shock trials, which took place off the coast of St. Augustine Beach, Fla., involved a 40,000-pound charge that exploded “right off the starboard beam” of the new ship. The blast registered as a 3.9 magnitude earthquake — but the ship’s commanding officer said it did less damage than predicted.
Navy conducts final blast in Ford full-ship shock trials (defensenews.com)
