[edpc]

That's true. The USS Ronald Reagan had its keel laid in 1998, was christened in 2001, and commissioned in 2003. However, it received flight deck certification in 5 months after its initial shakedown. That's a pretty big difference between the 8 years the article says they'll need after the Chinese carrier's 2 year sea trials.

[wxgesr]

AND, assuming there are no cats on that jump deck, they should be able to do FLT deck certs in about 3 months.

[mad_as_he$$]

One of the goals of the new Ford(shudder) Class is to reduce build time and the associated man hours. A big thing will be no steam cats. The steam system is large and takes a lot of time to fabricate and install. Running wires is easier.