Guests attend the christening ceremony of USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) at the Huntington-Ingalls Industries Newport News shipyard in Virginia, the United States, Nov. 9, 2013. U.S. Navy on Saturday christened aircraft carrier Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78), the first ship in a new class of super carrier. (Xinhua/Zhang Jun)

U.S. Aircraft Carrier’s Cost Likely to Rise Again, GAO Says -- Bloomberg

The cost of the U.S. Navy’s new aircraft carrier is likely to keep rising from the $12.9 billion now estimated, with the final price masked by deferring some work until after the ship is delivered, the Government Accountability Office said.

In the latest in a series of reports offering political ammunition to critics of the Navy’s most expensive warship, the GAO yesterday reaffirmed its earlier concerns that the Ford-class carrier being built by Huntington Ingalls Industries Inc. (HII) will cost more and take longer to complete than advertised.

“With the shipbuilder embarking on one of the most complex phases of construction with the greatest likelihood for cost growth, cost increases beyond the current $12.9 billion cost cap appear likely,” the watchdog agency said.

To stay within the cost cap, the Navy is deferring some work, including installing satellite communications equipment and correcting defects, until after the ship is delivered, to create a funding reserve, according to the report.

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More News On The Cost Overruns Of The US Navy's Newest Aircraft Carrier

GAO: Navy carrier will be incomplete, cost more at delivery -- Stars and Stripes
$13B Navy carrier to be delivered late, incomplete and at higher cost -- Washington Post
Costs for carrier Ford to keep rising, auditors predict -- Pilot Online
GAO: First Ford class carrier headed for cost overruns -- Marine Log
GAO: Revise Cost Cap Legislation for New Aircraft Carrier -- Maritime Executive

Update: This is an interesting read .... The Large-Deck Carrier: The Finale (Information Dissemination).