Stars and Stripes reports that “the Navy’s next-generation aircraft carrier is mired in a pattern of inadequate testing, developmental delays and cost overruns that may hinder its effectiveness when it joins the fleet, the Government Accountability Office says in a scathing report.”

“The USS Gerald R. Ford, which is still under construction, is now expected to cost $12.8 billion — a $1.3 billion increase since 2011, according to the report, released Thursday.”

“The higher cost comes as the Navy searches for ways to make a congressionally mandated $14 billion cut in the upcoming fiscal year as a result of the automatic federal budget cuts known as sequestration.”