Navy tests newest carrier with giant explosion off Florida coast

40,000-lb. blast tests new aircraft carrier

Multiple views of Friday's giant underwater explosion meant to test the U.S. Navy carrier USS Gerald R. Ford, including the view from the ship itself. Videos courtesy U.S. Navy.

TAMPA, Fla. - The U.S. Navy’s newest and biggest aircraft carrier was put to the test last week with an offshore explosion so strong that it registered as an earthquake.

Friday, the USS Gerald R. Ford completed the first blast in what the Navy calls "full ship shock trials" off the east coast of the U.S. The Navy did not specify where, but a 3.9-magnitude quake was detected by the USGS at that time about 100 miles off the coast of Ponce Inlet, Florida.

The test involves a large underwater explosion not far from the ship. It’s meant to validate the design and construction of the carrier "to ensure the ship is hardened to withstand battle conditions," the Navy explained.

Video from the test shows the 40,000-pound explosive creating a massive underwater shock wave that spewed seawater into the air.

The Navy says the tests are scheduled to comply with environmental mitigation requirements, respecting known migration patterns of marine life in the test area.

FROM 2016: WATCH: Navy's earthquake-inducing underwater blasts

The Ford is the largest aircraft carrier in the world. The ship was formally commissioned by President Donald Trump in 2017 and is expected to be deployed into service around 2023 or 2024.

PHOTOS:

U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Riley B. McDowell

U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communications Specialist Seaman Jackson Adkins

The aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) completes the first scheduled explosive event of Full Ship Shock Trials while underway in the Atlantic Ocean, June 18, 2021. The U.S. Navy conducts shock trials of new ship designs using live explosive

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