The Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carrier, a technological marvel and symbol of American naval supremacy, ushers in a new era of maritime warfare capabilities. Named after the 38th President of the United States, these supercarriers represent a quantum leap in naval engineering and operational flexibility, with new technologies and advancements in various systems compared to legacy class carriers. The Gerald R. Ford carriers are ahead of their time, paving the way for future innovations.
The Ford-class carriers differ significantly from their predecessors. First and foremost, these supercarriers are enormous, the largest ships in terms of displacement ever built for the US Navy. They span a length of approximately 1,092 to 1,106 feet and weigh 100,000 tons, with a price tag of around $13 billion. The Ford class incorporates more than 23 new technologies, comprising dramatic advances in the propulsion system, electromagnetic aircraft launch system, advanced arresting gear, machinery controls, radars, and integrated warfare systems. These innovations will support a 33% higher sortie generation rate at significant cost savings compared to Nimitz-class carriers.
The Gerald R. Ford class also offers a significant reduction, approximately $4 billion per ship, in lifecycle operations and support costs compared to the earlier Nimitz class. The new technology and warfighting capabilities that the Gerald Ford brings to the fleet will transform naval warfare, supporting a more capable and lethal forward-deployed US naval presence in an emerging era of great power competition. The Ford class will serve as the most agile and lethal combat platform in the world, with improved systems that enhance interoperability among other platforms in the carrier strike group, as well as with the naval forces of regional allies and partners.
Another distinctive feature of the Gerald Ford is its 11 advanced weapons elevators, capable of lifting heavier loads up to 24,000 lbs compared to those on other carriers. The movement of weapons from storage and assembly to the aircraft on the flight deck has been streamlined and accelerated. Ordnance will be lifted to the centralized rearming location via higher-capacity weapons elevators that use linear motors. The elevators are located so that ordnance need not cross any areas of aircraft movement, thereby reducing traffic problems in the hangars and on the flight deck. In 2008, Rear Admiral Dennis M. Dwyer said these changes would make it hypothetically possible to rearm the airplanes in minutes instead of hours.
Furthermore, the USS Gerald Ford is equipped with two A1B nuclear reactors. These reactors are smaller and simpler, requiring fewer crew members, yet they are significantly more powerful than the Nimitz-class A4W reactors. Two reactors are installed on each Gerald R. Ford-class carrier, providing a power generation capacity at least 25% greater than that of the two A4W reactors in a Nimitz-class carrier. The Navy expects that the Gerald R. Ford class will remain part of the fleet for 90 years until the year 2105. This means that the class must effectively adopt new technology over the decades. Currently, only half of the electric power generation capacity is utilized by planned systems, with the remaining half available for future technologies.
A Growing Fleet
It is anticipated that there will be 10 ships in this Ford class. Thus far, five have been announced: USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78), USS John F. Kennedy (CVN 79), USS Enterprise (CVN 80), USS Doris Miller (CVN 81), and CVN 82.
The USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) is the pioneering aircraft carrier of its class and represents the first new aircraft carrier design in over 40 years. The keel of the Ford was laid on November 14, 2009. Laying the keel is the formal recognition of the start of a ship’s construction. On November 9, 2013, the Ford was christened by Susan Ford Bales, the daughter of Gerald R. Ford. “I christen the United States ship Gerald R. Ford. May God bless the ship and all who sail her,” she declared. The USS Gerald R. Ford was commissioned on July 22, 2017, by President Donald Trump. The commissioning ceremony marks the entry of a ship into active naval service. This was the day Ford took her place in the fleet alongside the other ships. Gerald R. Ford entered the fleet, replacing the decommissioned USS Enterprise (CVN 65), which ended her 51 years of active service. As of 2017, the USS Gerald R. Ford holds the distinction of being the world’s largest aircraft carrier and the largest warship ever constructed.
The USS John F. Kennedy is the second aircraft carrier of the Ford class and is scheduled to replace USS Nimitz when it is decommissioned. The USS Enterprise, the third Ford-class aircraft carrier to be constructed for the Navy, will be the ninth United States naval vessel and the third aircraft carrier to bear the name. It is scheduled to be in operation by 2028 and will replace the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower.
Carrier Airwing
The aircraft carrier, with its embarked carrier airwing, is a preeminent asset for the maintenance of maritime superiority across the oceans of the globe. History has time and again shown the invaluable benefits of having the capability to bring decisive air power to bear from the sea. The carrier airwing serves as the primary means of deploying both offensive and defensive firepower. The Ford has the capability to carry more than 75 aircraft, which includes a diverse range of aircraft such as the F-35C Lightning II, F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, EA-18G Growler, E-2D Advanced Hawkeye, C-2A Greyhound, MH-60R helicopters, and unmanned combat aerial vehicles. In 2020, the US Navy commenced the replacement of the C-2A with the CMV-22B Osprey, thereby fulfilling the carrier onboard delivery mission for the large deck carrier fleet. In addition to its versatility, the Ford class can recover and launch various short takeoff and vertical landing aircraft used by the US Marine Corps. Furthermore, the ship’s design margins allow for the integration of future next-generation aircraft known as the F/A-XX fighter jet. The F/A-XX is part of a development and acquisition program for a future sixth-generation air superiority fighter intended to replace the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and complement the F-35C starting in the 2030s.
Ford Defensive Systems
In addition to the carrier’s airwing, the Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carrier is equipped with a formidable array of defensive weaponry. These include two RIM-162 Evolved Sea Sparrow missiles, two RIM-116 Rolling Airframe Missile systems, three Phalanx Close-In Weapon Systems (CIWS) for close-range defense, as well as four Mark 38 25mm machine gun systems and four M2 .50 caliber machine guns. The Ford’s generous electrical capacity means that the ship could potentially host laser self-defense weapons powered by the ship’s nuclear reactor. Such a system would have a virtually limitless ammunition supply, significantly enhancing the ship’s defensive capabilities.
Ford Carrier Strike Group
A Carrier Strike Group (CSG) is the principal element of US power projection, holding enough firepower to rival the air forces of entire nations. Its mission is to achieve and sustain air, sea, and undersea control, respond to crises, and protect United States interests anywhere, anytime. Known for being powerful, mobile, flexible, independent, and sustainable, a Carrier Strike Group typically contains roughly 7,500 personnel and a variety of ship types, including a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, at least one cruiser, and a destroyer squadron with at least two destroyers or frigates. A Carrier Strike Group also occasionally includes submarines, attached logistic ships, and a supply ship. The Carrier Strike Group Commander operationally reports to the commander of the numbered fleet, who is operationally responsible for the area of waters in which the Carrier Strike Group operates.
