Newport News Shipbuilding recently completed the first planned incremental availability (PIA) for USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78).

“It is truly an honor and a privilege for our shipbuilding team to ready this most technologically advanced aircraft carrier for the Navy fleet,” said Lucas Hicks, vice president of USS Gerald R. Ford and John F. Kennedy (CVN 79) aircraft carrier programs. “We look forward to folding what we learned into the entire Gerald R. Ford class, extending the Navy’s power projection advantage around the globe.”

The PIA involved six months of modernization and maintenance work to ensure CVN 78 has the most current upgrades prior to the carrier’s maiden deployment. The ship entered the PIA in September 2021 after completing full-ship shock trials and a successful post-delivery test and trials period.