The Naval Sea Systems Command has worked with Huntington Ingalls Industries‘ Newport News Shipbuilding division to determine the center of gravity of the U.S. Navy’s USS Gerald R. Ford ship through a weighted inclining test.
Contractor personnel helped NAVSEA collect baseline readings on draft markers that were placed on the aircraft carrier’s stern, midships and bow, the service branch said Tuesday.
A transporter moved Ford’s 140-ton inclining weights into various positions, allowing the team to gauge and record movement distance and inclination through precision inclinometers. The rare experiment concluded with a sallying test.
Navy Cmdr. Homer Hensy, chief engineer of Ford, said the branch will use data from both the incline and sally tests to determine the vessel’s damage control stability levels.
“This data will allow the Commanding Officer and the crew to stabilize the ship in the event of battle damage and allow Ford to maintain a stable deck to continue strike operations against our adversaries,” Hensy added.