The nation's newest aircraft carrier left a Virginia shipyard and returned to sea for more tests Friday, just days after fresh concerns were raised in Washington over when the highly advanced ship will be ready for combat. James F. Geurts, an assistant secretary of the Navy, responded during the hearing that the Ford should be ready before 2024. The next day, Navy Secretary Richard V. Spencer said during a talk at the Brookings Institution that Luria disparaged a ship that's helping the Navy develop new technology. The new carrier is designed to carry a wider variety of planes, potentially including unmanned aircraft, and operate with several hundred fewer sailors. "I don't have a whole lot to criticize in terms of Navy's management of the Ford-class carrier program," Martin said.

Source: ABC News October 25, 2019 17:13 UTC