Dramatic photos show new US aircraft carrier in explosion ‘shock trial’
- Live explosives near warship meant to simulate actual combat conditions
- The US Navy hopes top have carrier ready for deployment before 2024
The US Navy has started a series of tests on its newest and most advanced aircraft carrier by detonating powerful explosions to determine whether the ship is ready for war.
The first of the tests, which are known as Full Ship Shock Trials, occurred Friday when the US Navy set off a giant explosive event near the USS Gerald R. Ford, according to a statement.
Images and video footage showed an enormous burst of water shoot from the ocean as a result of what US media called a 40,000-pound (18,144kg) explosion.
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US Navy sets off explosives to test new aircraft carrier
The US Geological Survey said the explosion, which occurred in the Atlantic Ocean off the Florida coast, registered as a 3.9 magnitude earthquake.
Though the US Navy has conducted shock trials with other vessels, the latest trials with the Ford, mark the first time since 1987 the US Navy has conducted shock trials with an aircraft carrier.
The last aircraft carrier shock trials involved the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt, according to the US Navy.