General Discussion

unhappycamper

(60,364 posts)

13. Let's talk about Ford-class aircraft carriers.

Mon Feb 27, 2012, 11:49 AM

Feb 2012

First a little history.

Do you remember the USS Forrestal aircraft carrier that almost blew up off the coast of Vietnam and then almost sunk because of the water they poured into the hanger deck to tamp down the fire? The USS Forrestal cost the US taxpayers $189 million dollars delivered, sans people and aircraft. Source: History Channel

Nimitz-class carriers cost around $4.5 billion dollars delivered, san people and aircraft. The very last Nimitz-class carrier, the G.H.W. Bush, cost $6.8 billion dollars (lotsa overtime) delivered, sans people and aircraft. Source: military rags, wikipedia sez nothing about the cost

Here's where it gets interesting:

wikipedia sez these things will cost $13.5 billion dollars.

I read an article in either the Navy Times (or Stripes) last month that said these things should cost around $16 billion dollars.

My prediction: The USS Gerald R. Ford should cost around $40 billion dollars delivered, sans people and aircraft.

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25 replies

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A Tale of two Ships [View all] unhappycamper Feb 2012 OP

Dear UHC, I love your posts tech3149 Feb 2012 #1

There are a number of reasons weapons costs and the military budget have sky rocketed, Lurks Often Feb 2012 #5

Great post... JSnuffy Feb 2012 #10

Hardly a fair comparison Lurks Often Feb 2012 #2

I was not comparing the utility of these shps, just the COST of these ships. n/t unhappycamper Feb 2012 #8

The costs are not comparable. It really is apples to oranges. NutmegYankee Feb 2012 #9

Still not a fair comparison since they serve drastically different roles n/t Lurks Often Feb 2012 #14

Apples to oranges madokie Feb 2012 #3

Is that all? pintobean Feb 2012 #4

This isn't a fair comparison. NutmegYankee Feb 2012 #6

Tend to agree Red Mountain Feb 2012 #7

A better comparison would be with the Gerald R Ford class Alcibiades Feb 2012 #11

Please do some basic research before posting Lurks Often Feb 2012 #12

I know they have been used in disaster relief Alcibiades Feb 2012 #16

You are the one who stated Lurks Often Feb 2012 #20

Insert the word "defining" Alcibiades Feb 2012 #23

Let's talk about Ford-class aircraft carriers. unhappycamper Feb 2012 #13

And Gas in 1955 (when CV-59 was commissioned) was $0.23 a gallon. NutmegYankee Feb 2012 #15

Don't know enough about the poster Alcibiades Feb 2012 #18

I agree they didn't believe in standing armies NutmegYankee Feb 2012 #19

OK Alcibiades Feb 2012 #24

wikipedia says 9 billion Alcibiades Feb 2012 #17

Because while we have 11, Lurks Often Feb 2012 #21

We've managed to do just fine Alcibiades Feb 2012 #22

Then you have a different interpration then Lurks Often Feb 2012 #25