Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carrier

Basic information

Type:

Aircraft carrier

Operators:

United States Navy

Country of build:

United States

Builder:

Newport News Shipbuilding (NNS) Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII)

Planned:

Completed:

In service:

2017 – present (7 years)

Ship measurements

Displacement:

100,000 t

Length:

337 m

Beam:

78 m

Machine

Propulsion:

2 * A1B nuclear reactors
4 * shafts

Speed:

30 knots

Range:

Unlimited

Personnel

Complement:

4,300

Combat assets

Armament:

2 * RIM-162 ESSM launchers
2 * RIM-116 RAM
3 * Phalanx CIWS
4 * M2 .50 Cal. (12.7 mm) machine guns

Aircraft:

The ability to carry up to 90 aircraft, including the Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, Boeing EA-18G Growler, Grumman C-2 Greyhound, Northrop Grumman E-2 Hawkeye, Lockheed Martin F-35C Lightning II, Sikorsky SH-60 Seahawk helicopters, and unmanned combat aerial vehicles such as the Northrop Grumman X-47B.

Gerald R. Ford class (or Ford class; previously known as CVN-21 class) is a class of aircraft carrier being built to replace the USS Enterprise (CVN-65) and eventually the United States Navy's existing Nimitz-class carriers, beginning with the delivery of USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78). The new vessels have a hull similar to the Nimitz carriers, but introduce technologies since developed such as the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System, as well as other design features intended to improve efficiency and reduce operating costs, including sailing with smaller crews.