The Navy is making lethality enhancing “modifications” to its next several new Ford-class aircraft carriers, to include integrated “digital shipbuilding” and weapons-oriented adjustments intended to further increase overall aircraft carrier combat effectiveness. These now-underway modifications, which Navy developers specify do not included changes to the F-35C or Stingray themselves, are in part intended to step up aircraft carrier attack abilities on the open sea, made manifest by the Navy’s recent a cost-saving two-carrier buy.
