But development of this cutting-edge technology, built by San Diego defense firm General Atomics, has not been without growing pains. And the system's readiness, along with that of other new systems on the USS Gerald R. Ford, the first of a new class of carriers, is at the center of a debate between the U.S. Navy and Senate leaders. The Ford was commissioned last summer and entered active service, but it must undergo additional testing before being able to deploy for operations.

Source: Los Angeles Times February 23, 2018 14:03 UTC