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New lighter-weight anchor system tested for aircraft carrier

An anchor system that is about half the weight of those currently used on U.S. Navy Nimitz-class aircraft carriers has been tested for the future USS Gerald R. Ford by a division of Huntington Ingalls Industries.

By Richard Tomkins
Artist's concept of the USS Gerald R. Ford. (U.S. Navy image)
Artist's concept of the USS Gerald R. Ford. (U.S. Navy image)

NEWPORT NEWS, Va., July 2 (UPI) -- The U.S. Navy's newest aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, will feature a new lighter-weight anchor and chain than predecessor vessels.

Huntington Ingalls Industries says the anchor weighs 30,000 pounds, a significantly lighter weight than anchors used on other carriers. Each link of the 1,440-foot anchor chain weighs about 136 pounds.

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Testing of the ship's anchor windlass system with simulated 180- and 360-foot drops was conducted recently by the company's Newport News Shipbuilding Division.

"It was through tremendous teamwork across multiple departments that the anchor windlass system was tested satisfactorily on Ford," said Derek Briggs, the foreman in charge of testing the new anchor's system. "By testing each system on the ship, we are able to demonstrate to our customer, the U.S. Navy, that the systems perform as designed.

"Testing on Ford's anchor windlass system was successful and is a testament to the quality and pride with which our shipbuilders perform their work each day."

The Gerald R. Ford, a first-of-class ship, is scheduled for delivery to the Navy in 2016.

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