NEWPORT NEWS, Va. (AP) - The U.S. Navy says it will stick with an advanced fighter jet landing system for its new aircraft carriers, despite some initial problems.
The Navy said in a press release Monday that glitches in the technology are being worked out. Benefits of the new landing gear include more reliability and less maintenance.
The landing gear problems have helped delay delivery of the USS Gerald R. Ford, the first of the Navy’s new class of aircraft carriers. Construction was supposed to finish by September 2015. And the $12.9 billion ship was initially supposed to cost $10.5 billion.
Sea trials for the Ford are now set to begin in March. The Navy said the Ford will be ready to trap its first F/A-18 Super Hornet later this year.
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