NEWPORT NEWS, Va. (Oct. 11, 2013) Newport News Shipbuilding floods Dry Dock 12 to float the first in class aircraft carrier, Pre-Commissioning Unit Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78). (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Joshua J. Wahl/Released)
Meet the U.S. Navy’s newest aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford. This behemoth is set to join the U.S. Naval fleet this year and is going through it’s finishing touches as we speak. The USS Gerald R. Ford will be a class of carriers that is set to replace the current Nimitz-Class carriers. Let’s take a look at some of the new vessel’s key features that make it a state of the art carrier.
Length: 1,106 ft (337m)
Top Speed: Over 30 knots ]
Decks: 25
Height: 250 ft
Aircraft carried: Over 75
Distance: 20-25 years
Cost to build: $12.8 billion + $4.7 billion in research and development
The new Gerald R. Ford Class carriers are expected to be able to launch 25% more aircraft a day with 25% less crew members than the current Nimitz Class carriers. It also comes outfitted with updated radar, armament and ballistic protection.
In all the new carrier took over 10 years and took almost 5,000 workers to complete. While the Navy found a few issues with the carrier during testing it is confident the new carrier will out perform the Nimitz Class carriers and will be worth the almost $13 billion price tag. The ship comes with quieter sleeping quarters, a gymnasium, improved air conditioning and a specialty coffee shop.