USS Gerald R. Ford’s (CVN 78) Full Ship Shock Trials
On Friday, June 18, the USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) successfully completed the first scheduled explosive event as part of Full Ship Shock Trials (FSST). The first-in-class aircraft carrier was designed using advanced computer modeling methods, testing, and analysis to ensure the ship is hardened to withstand battle conditions, and these shock trials provide data used in validating the shock hardening process.
https://www.dvidshub.net/feature/FullShipShockTrials
Thanks for the explanation. Whatever they touched off must have been substantial. Maybe they want to see how well the Gerald Ford holds up in case it catches a Chinese missile?
The Navy is conducting the shock trial testing in accordance with Office of the Chief of Naval Operations Instruction 9072.2, and as mandated by the National Defense Authorization Act of 2016.A shock/blast equivalent to a 3.9 earthquake is, ummm, impressive!...Ford’s shock trials are being conducted off the East Coast of the United States, within a narrow schedule that complies with environmental mitigation requirements, respecting known migration patterns of marine life in the test area. The Navy also has employed extensive protocols throughout FSST to ensure the safety of military and civilian personnel participating in the testing evolution.