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Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carrier

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Main page "Ford class" redirects here. For the 1950s Royal Navy vessels, see Ford-class seaward defence boat.
Contents Gerald R. Ford class (or Ford class, previously known as CVN-21
Featured content Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carrier
class), is a class of supercarrier being built to replace some of the
Current events
United States Navy's existing Nimitz-class carriers, beginning with
Random article
Donate to Wikipedia the delivery of CVN-78, USS Gerald R. Ford. The new vessels have
Wikipedia store a hull similar to the Nimitz carriers, but introduce technologies since
developed such as the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System, as
Interaction
well as other design features intended to improve efficiency and
Help reduce operating costs, including sailing with smaller crews.[N 1][8][9]
About Wikipedia
Community portal Contents
Recent changes Gerald R. Ford on the James River in November 2013
1 Design features
Contact page
2 Development Class overview
Tools 2.1 Flight deck Name: Gerald R. Fordclass aircraft carrier
What links here 2.2 Power generation
Builders: Newport News Shipbuilding
Related changes 2.3 Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System
Operators: United States Navy
Upload file 2.4 Advanced Arresting Gear landing system
Preceded by: Nimitz class
Special pages 2.5 Sensors and self-defense systems
Permanent link Cost: Program cost: $36.30 billion[1](FY15)
2.6 Possible upgrades
Page information Unit cost: $10.44B[1](FY15)
2.7 3D computer-aided design
Wikidata item 2.8 Planned aircraft complement Building: 2
Cite this page Planned: 10[2][3]
2.9 Crew accommodations
Print/export 3 Construction Completed: 1 (awaiting commissioning)
3.1 First-of-class type design changes General characteristics
Create a book
Download as PDF 4 Naming
Type: Aircraft carrier
Printable version 5 Ships in class
6 See also Displacement: About 100,000 long tons (110,000 short
In other projects tons; 100,000 tonnes) (full load)[4]
7 Notes
Length: 1,106 ft (337 m)
Wikimedia Commons 8 References
9 External links Beam: 256 ft (78 m) (flight deck)
Languages 134 ft (41 m) (waterline)
etina Height: 250 feet (76 m)
Dansk Design features [edit] Draft: 39 ft (12 m)[5]
Deutsch Decks: 25
Espaol Carriers of the Ford class will have:[10]
Installed Two A1B nuclear reactors
Franais Advanced arresting gear.[11] power:

Automation, allowing a crew of several hundred fewer than the Propulsion: Four shafts
Hrvatski
Italiano Nimitz-class carrier. Speed: In excess of 30 knots (56 km/h; 35 mph)
The updated RIM-162 Evolved Sea Sparrow missile.[12] Range: Unlimited
Bahasa Melayu An AN/SPY-3 X Band multifunction radar and an AN/SPY-4 S Endurance: 50-year service life
Nederlands Band volume search radar. Designated together as Dual Band Complement: 508 officers
3,789 enlisted[5]
Radar (DBR), initially developed for the Zumwalt-class
Norsk bokml
destroyers.[13] Crew: 4,300 approx. [6]
Polski
Portugus An Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS) in place of Armament: Anti-aircraft missiles:
traditional steam catapults for launching aircraft.[11] 2 RIM-162 ESSM
Slovenina 2 RIM-116 RAM
A new nuclear reactor design (the A1B reactor) for greater
Srpskohrvatski / Guns:
power generation. 3 Phalanx CIWS

Suomi Stealth features to reduce radar cross-section. 4 M2 .50 Cal. (12.7 mm) machine
Svenska The ability to carry up to 90 aircraft, including the Boeing F/A- guns
Trke 18E/F Super Hornet, Boeing EA-18G Growler, Grumman C-2 Aircraft 75+[7]
Greyhound, Northrop Grumman E-2 Hawkeye, Lockheed Martin carried:
Edit links Aviation 1,092 ft 256 ft (333 m 78 m) flight
F-35C Lightning II, Sikorsky SH-60 Seahawk helicopters, and
facilities: deck
unmanned combat aerial vehicles such as the Northrop
 Grumman X-47B.[12][14]
The US Navy aims to use modern equipment and extensive automation to reduce the crew size and the total cost of
future aircraft carriers.[15] The biggest visible difference from earlier supercarriers will be the more aft location of the
island.[16] Ships of the Ford class are intended to sustain 160 sorties per day for 30-plus days, with a surge capability of
270 sorties per day.[17][18] Director of Operational Testing Michael Gilmore has criticized the assumptions used in these
forecasts as unrealistic and has indicated sortie rates similar to the 120/240 per day of the Nimitz class would be
acceptable.[18][19]

Development [edit]
The current Nimitz-class aircraft carrier in US naval service has been part of United States power projection strategy
since Nimitz was commissioned in 1975. Displacing about 100,000 tons when fully loaded, a Nimitz-class carrier can
steam faster than 30 knots, cruise without resupply for 90 days, and launch aircraft to strike targets hundreds of miles
away.[20] The endurance of this class is exemplified by USS Theodore Roosevelt, which spent 159 days underway in
support of Operation Enduring Freedom without visiting a port or being refueled.[21]
The Nimitz design has accommodated many new technologies over the decades, but it has limited ability to support the
most recent technical advances. As a 2005 Rand report said, "The biggest problems facing the Nimitz class are the
limited electrical power generation capability and the upgrade-driven increase in ship weight and erosion of the center-
of-gravity margin needed to maintain ship stability."[22]
With these constraints in mind, the US Navy developed what was initially known as the CVN-21 program, which ultimately
evolved into CVN-78, Gerald R. Ford. Improvements were made through developing technologies and more efficient
design. Major design changes include a larger flight deck, improvements in weapons and material handling, a new
propulsion plant design that requires fewer people to operate and maintain, and a new smaller island that has been
pushed aft. Technological advances in electromagnetics have led to the development of an Electromagnetic Aircraft
Launch System (EMALS) and an Advanced Arresting Gear (AAG). An integrated warfare system, the Ship Self-Defense
System (SSDS), has been developed to allow the ship to more easily take on new missions. The new Dual Band Radar
(DBR) combines S-band and X-band radar.[23] Flight deck changes support the requirements for a higher sortie rate,
around 160 a day with surges to 270.
These advances will allow the new Gerald R. Fordclass carriers to launch 25% more sorties, generate triple the
electrical power, require less time offline [clarification needed], and offer various quality-of-life improvements.[24]

Flight deck [edit]

Changes to the flight deck are the most visible differences between the Nimitz
and Gerald R. Ford classes. Several sections have been altered to improve
aircraft handling, storage, and flow, all in the service of increasing the sortie
rate.
Catapult No. 4 on the Nimitz class cannot launch fully loaded aircraft because of
a deficiency of wing clearance along the edge of the flight deck.[25] CVN-78 will
have no catapult-specific restrictions on launching aircraft, but still retains four
catapults, two bow and two waist.[26]
Artist's concept of CVN-78.
The number of aircraft lifts from hangar deck to flight deck level was reduced
from four to three.
Another major change is that the smaller, redesigned island will be further aft than those of older carriers. This shift
creates deck space for a centralized rearming and refueling location, and thereby reduces the number of times that an
aircraft will have to be moved after landing before it can be relaunched. Fewer aircraft movements require, in turn, fewer
deck hands to accomplish them, reducing the size of the ship's crew and increasing sortie rate.
As well, the movement of weapons from storage and assembly to the aircraft on the flight deck has been streamlined
and accelerated. Ordnance will be moved to the centralized rearming location via relocated, higher-capacity weapons
elevators that use linear motors.[27] The new path that ordnance follows does not cross any areas of aircraft movement,
thereby reducing traffic problems in the hangars and on the flight deck. According to Rear Admiral Dennis M. Dwyer,
these changes will make it hypothetically possible to rearm the airplanes in "minutes instead of hours".[28]

Power generation [edit]

The new Bechtel A1B reactor for the CVN 21 class is smaller and simpler, requires fewer crew, and is yet far more
powerful than the Nimitz-class A4W reactor. Two reactors will be installed on each Ford-class carrier, each one capable
of producing 300 MW of electricity, triple the 100 MW of each A4W.[29][30]
The propulsion and power plant of the Nimitz-class carriers was designed in the 1960s, when onboard technologies did
not require the same quantity of electrical power that modern technologies do. "New technologies added to the Nimitz-
class ships have generated increased demands for electricity; the current base load leaves little margin to meet
expanding demands for power."[31]
Compared to the Nimitz-class reactor, the CVN 21 reactor has about half as many valves, piping, major pumps,
condensers, and generators. The steam-generating system uses fewer than 200 valves and only eight pipe sizes.
These improvements lead to simpler construction, reduced maintenance, and lower manpower requirements as well as
to a more compact system that requires less space in the ship. The modernization of the plant led to a higher core
energy density, lower demands for pumping power, a simpler construction, and the use of modern electronic controls
and displays. The new plant requires just one-third the watchstanding requirements and a decrease of required
maintenance.[32]
A larger power output is a major component to the integrated warfare system. Engineers took extra steps to ensure that
integrating unforeseen technological advances onto a Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carrier would be possible. The Navy
expects the Gerald R. Ford class will be part of the fleet for 90 years, until the year 2105, which means that the class
must successfully accept new technology over the decades.

Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System [edit]

Main article: Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System
The Nimitz-class aircraft carriers use steam-powered catapults to launch aircraft.
The Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS) is more efficient, smaller,
lighter, more powerful, and easier to control. Increased control means that
EMALS will be able to launch heavier and lighter aircraft than the steam catapult.
Also, the use of a controlled force will reduce the stress on airframes, resulting in
less maintenance and a longer lifetime for the aircraft. (EMALS will not be
retrofitted onto the Nimitz class, which cannot generate enough electricity to
A drawing of the EMALS' linear power it.)
induction motor
In June 2014, the Navy completed EMALS prototype testing of 450 manned
aircraft launches involving every Navy fixed-wing carrier-borne aircraft type at
Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst during two Aircraft Compatibility Testing (ACT) campaigns. ACT Phase 1 concluded in
late 2011 following 134 launches (aircraft types comprising the F/A-18E Super Hornet, T-45C Goshawk, C-2A
Greyhound, E-2D Advanced Hawkeye, and F-35C Lightning II). On completion of ACT 1, the EMALS demonstrator was
reconfigured to be more representative of the actual ship configuration aboard Ford, which will use four catapults that
share several energy storage and power conversion subsystems.
ACT Phase 2 began on 25 June 2013 and concluded on 6 April 2014 after a further 310 launches (including launches of
the EA-18G Growler and F/A-18C Hornet, as well as another round of testing with aircraft types previously launched
during Phase 1). In Phase 2, various carrier situations were simulated, including off-centre launches and planned
system faults, to demonstrate that aircraft could meet end-speed and validate launch-critical reliability.[33]
EMALS was tested in June 2015.[34]

Advanced Arresting Gear landing system [edit]

Main article: Advanced Arresting Gear
Electromagnetics will also be used in the new Advanced Arresting Gear (AAG) system. The current system relies on
hydraulics to slow and stop a landing aircraft. While the hydraulic system is effective, as demonstrated by more than fifty
years of implementation, the AAG system offers a number of improvements. The current system is unable to capture
UAVs without damaging them due to extreme stresses on the airframe. UAVs do not have the necessary mass to drive
the large hydraulic piston used to trap heavier, manned airplanes. By using electromagnetics the energy absorption is
controlled by a turbo-electric engine. This makes the trap smoother and reduces shock on airframes. Even though the
system will look the same from the flight deck as its predecessor, it will be more flexible, safe, and reliable, and will
require less maintenance and manning.[35]

Sensors and self-defense systems [edit]

Another addition to the Gerald R. Ford class is an integrated Active electronically scanned array search and tracking
radar system. The dual-band radar (DBR) was being developed for both the Zumwalt-class guided missile destroyers
and the Ford-class aircraft carriers by Raytheon. The island can be kept smaller by replacing six to ten radar antennas
with a single six-faced radar. The DBR works by combining the X band AN/SPY-3 multifunction radar with the S band
Volume Search Radar (VSR) emitters, distributed into three phased arrays.[36] The S-band radar was later deleted from
the Zumwalt class destroyers as a cost saving measure.[13]
The three faces dedicated to the X-band radar are responsible for low altitude tracking and radar illumination, while the
other three faces dedicated to the S-band are responsible for target search and
tracking regardless of weather. "Operating simultaneously over two
electromagnetic frequency ranges, the DBR marks the first time this functionality
has been achieved using two frequencies coordinated by a single resource
manager."[23]
This new system has no moving parts, therefore minimizing maintenance and
Diagram of AN/SPY-3 vertical
manning requirements for operation. The carrier will be armed with the Raytheon electronic pencil beam radar conex
Evolved Sea Sparrow missile (ESSM), which defends against high-speed, highly projections
maneuverable anti-ship missiles. The close-in weapon system, and the rolling
airframe missile (RAM) from Raytheon and Ramsys GmbH are also on board.
The AN/SPY-3 consists of three active arrays and the Receiver/Exciter (REX)
cabinets abovedecks and the Signal and Data Processor (SDP) subsystem
below-decks. The VSR has a similar architecture, with the beamforming and
narrowband down-conversion functionality occurring in two additional cabinets
per array. A central controller (the resource manager) resides in the Data
Processor (DP). The DBR is the first radar system that uses a central controller
and two active-array radars operating at different frequencies. The DBR gets its
power from the Common Array Power System (CAPS), which comprises Power
Conversion Units (PCUs) and Power Distribution Units (PDUs). The DBR is
cooled via a closed-loop cooling system called the Common Array Cooling
System (CACS).[37]

An evolved Sea Sparrow missile The REX consists of a digital and an analog portion. The digital portion of the
launching. Note the enlarged engine REX provides system-level timing and control. The analog portion contains the
section. exciter and the receiver. The exciter is a low-amplitude and phase noise system
that uses direct frequency synthesis. The radars noise characteristics support
the high clutter cancellation requirements required in the broad range of maritime operating environments that DBR will
likely encounter. The direct frequency synthesis allows a wide range of pulse repetition frequencies, pulse widths, and
modulation schemes to be created.
The receiver has high dynamic range to support high clutter levels caused by close returns from range-ambiguous
Doppler effect waveforms. The receiver has both narrowband and wideband channels, as well as multichannel
capabilities to support monopulse radar processing and sidelobe blanking. The receiver generates digital data and
sends the data to the signal processors.
The DBR uses IBM commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) supercomputers to provide control and signal processing. DBR is
the first radar system to use COTS systems to perform the signal processing. Using COTS systems reduces
development costs and increases system reliability and maintainability.
The high-performance COTS servers perform signal analysis using radar and digital signal processing techniques,
including channel equalization, clutter filtering, Doppler processing, impulse editing, and implementation of a variety of
advanced electronic protect algorithms. The IBM supercomputers are installed in cabinets that provide shock and
vibration isolation. The DP contains the resource manager, the tracker, and the command and control processor, which
processes commands from the combat system.
The DBR utilizes a multitier, dual-band tracker, which consists of a local X band tracker, a local S band tracker, and a
central tracker. The central tracker merges the local tracker data together and directs the individual-band-trackers
updates. The X band tracker is optimized for low latency to support its mission of providing defense against fast, low-
flying missiles, while the VSR tracker is optimized for throughput due to the large-volume search area coverage
requirements.
The combat system develops doctrine-based response recommendations based on the current tactical situation and
sends the recommendations to the DBR. The combat system also has control of which modes the radar will perform.
Unlike previous-generation radars, the DBR does not require an operator and has no manned display consoles. The
system uses information about the current environment and doctrine from the combat system to make automated
decisions, not only reducing reaction times, but also reducing the risks associated with human error. The only human
interaction is for maintenance and repair activities.
The Enterprise Air Surveillance Radar (EASR) is a new design surveillance radar that is to be installed in the second
Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carrier, John F. Kennedy, in lieu of the Dual Band radar. The America-class amphibious
assault ships starting with LHA-8 and the planned LX(R) will also have this radar.[38]
The EASR suites initial per-unit cost will be about $180 million less than the DBR, for which the estimate is about $500
million.[39]
Possible upgrades [edit]
Each new technology and design feature integrated into the Ford-class aircraft carrier improves sortie generation,
manning requirements, and operational capabilities. New defense systems, such as free-electron laser directed-energy
weapons, dynamic armor, and tracking systems will require more power. "Only half of the electrical power-generation
capability on CVN-78 is needed to run currently planned systems, including EMALS. CVN-78 will thus have the power
reserves that the Nimitz class lacks to run lasers and dynamic armor."[40] The addition of new technologies, power
systems, design layout, and better control systems results in an increased sortie rate of 25% over the Nimitz-class and a
25% reduction in manpower required to operate.[41]
Breakthrough waste management technology will be deployed on Gerald R Ford. Co-developed with the Carderock
Division of the Naval Surface Warfare Center, PyroGenesis Canada Inc., was in 2008 awarded the contract to outfit the
ship with a Plasma Arc Waste Destruction System (PAWDS). This compact system will treat all combustible solid waste
generated on board the ship. After having completed factory acceptance testing in Montreal, the system was scheduled
to be shipped to the Huntington Ingalls shipyard in late 2011 for installation on the carrier.[42]
The Navy is actively developing a weapon system called the free-electron laser
(FEL) to address the cruise missile threat and the swarm-boat threat against
Ford-class carriers.[43][44][45][46][47] An FEL uses an electron gun to generate a
stream of electrons. The electrons are then sent into a linear particle accelerator
to boost them to near light speeds. The accelerated electrons are then sent into
a device, known informally as a wiggler, that exposes the electrons to a
transverse magnetic field, which causes the electrons to wiggle from side to Navy laser shoots down an
side and release some of their energy in the form of light (photons). The unmanned drone during an on-board
photons are then bounced between mirrors and emitted as a coherent beam of test of a laser prototype.
laser light. To increase the efficiency of the system some electrons are then
recycled to the front of the particle accelerator via an energy recovery loop. The cost to fire one shot from an FEL is
about $1 and draws about 10 MW of electrical power.

3D computer-aided design [edit]

Newport News Shipbuilding used a full-scale three-dimensional product model developed in Dassault Systmes CATIA
V5 release 8 (which includes special features useful to shipbuilders[48]) to design and plan the construction of the Ford
class of aircraft carriers. This enables engineers and designers to test visual integration in design, engineering,
planning and construction of components and subsystems. CVN-78 is the first aircraft carrier to be designed in a full-
scale 3D product model. This modeling enabled the rooms within the ship to be modular, so that future upgrades can be
implemented by designers simply by swapping a box in and locking it down.
This method of designing workflow also resulted in improvements to weapon handling procedures and an increase in
potential sorties-per-day. Weapons-handling paths on Nimitz-class ships were designed for the potential nuclear
missions of the Cold War. The current flow of weapons from storage areas in the interior of the Nimitz-class ship to
loading on aircraft involves several horizontal and vertical movements to various staging and build-up locations within
the ship. These movements around the ship are time-consuming and manpower-intensive and typically involve sailors
manually moving weapons loaded on carts. Also, the current locations of some of the Nimitz-class weapons elevators
conflict with the flow of aircraft on the flight deck, slowing down the generation of sorties or making some elevators
unusable during flight operations.
The CVN 21 class was designed to have better weapons movement paths, largely eliminating horizontal movements
within the ship. Current plans call for advanced weapons elevators to move from storage areas to dedicated weapons-
handling areas. Sailors would use motorized carts to move the weapons from storage to the elevators at different levels
of the weapons magazines. Linear motors are being considered for the advanced weapons elevators. The elevators will
also be relocated such that they will not impede aircraft operations on the flight deck. The redesign of the weapons
movement paths and the location of the weapons elevators on the flight deck will reduce manpower and contribute to a
much higher sortie generation rate.[49]

Planned aircraft complement [edit]

The Ford class is designed to accommodate the new Joint Strike Fighter carrier variant aircraft (F-35C), but aircraft
development and testing delays have affected integration activities on CVN-78. These integration activities include
testing the F-35C with CVN-78s EMALS and advanced arresting gear system and testing the ships storage capabilities
for the F-35Cs lithium-ion batteries (which provide start-up and back-up power), tires, and wheels. As a result of F-35C
developmental delays, the US Navy will not field the aircraft until at least 2018one year after CVN-78 delivery. As a
result, the Navy has deferred critical F-35C integration activities, which introduces risk of system incompatibilities and
costly retrofits to the ship after it is delivered to the Navy.[50]
Crew accommodations [edit]
A typical berthing on Ford-class
aircraft carriers of three racks per
section
access those facilities. Wifi-enabled lounges are located across the passageway in separate spaces from the berthings
racks.[citation needed]
Systems that reduce crew workload have allowed the ships company on Ford-
class carriers to total only 2,600 sailors, about 600 fewer than a Nimitz-class
flattop. The massive, 180-man berthing areas on the Nimitz class are replaced
by 40-rack berthing areas on Ford-class carriers. The smaller berthings are
quieter and the layout requires less foot traffic through other spaces.[51]
The racks are typically stacked three high, with one locker per person and extra
lockers for those without storage space under their rack. The berthings do not
feature modern sit-up racks with more headroom (each rack can only
accommodate a sailor lying down). Each berthing has an associated head,
including showers, vacuum-powered septic-system toilets (no urinals since the
berthings are built gender-neutral)[52] and sinks to reduce travel and traffic to

Construction [edit]
Construction began on 11 August 2005, when Northrop Grumman held a
ceremonial steel cut for a 15-ton plate that will form part of a side shell unit of the
carrier.[53] Construction began on components of CVN-78 in early 2007[54] and is
nearing completion. It is under the final steps of construction at Newport News
Shipbuilding, a division of Huntington Ingalls Industries (formerly Northrop
Grumman Shipbuilding) in Newport News, Virginia. This is the only shipyard in
the United States capable of building nuclear-powered aircraft carriers.
In 2005, it was estimated to cost at least $8 billion excluding the $5 billion spent Gerald R. Ford under construction at
Newport News
on research and development (though that was not expected to be
[15]
representative of the cost of future members of the class). A 2009 report said
that Ford would cost $14 billion including research and development, and the actual cost of the carrier itself would be
$9 billion.[55] The life-cycle cost per operating day of a carrier strike group (including aircraft) was estimated at $6.5
million in 2013 published by the Center for New American Security.[56]
A total of three carriers have been authorized for construction, but if the Nimitz-class carriers and Enterprise were to be
replaced on a one-for-one basis, eleven carriers would be required over the life of the program. However, the last
Nimitz-class aircraft carrier is not scheduled to be decommissioned until 2058.
In a speech on 6 April 2009, then Secretary of Defense Robert Gates announced that the program would shift to a five-
year building program so as to place it on a "more fiscally sustainable path". Such a measure would result in ten carriers
after 2040.[57]

First-of-class type design changes [edit]

As construction of CVN-78 progresses, the shipbuilder is discovering first-of-
class type design changes, which it will use to update the model before the
follow-on ship construction. To date, several of these design changes have
related to EMALS configuration changes, which have required electrical, wiring,
and other changes within the ship. Although the Navy reports that these EMALS-
related changes are nearing completion, it anticipates additional design changes Susan Ford Bales, Gerald R. Ford's
stemming from remaining advanced arresting gear development and testing. In sponsor, tours Dry Dock No. 12 at
total, over 1,200 anticipated design changes remain to be completed (out of Newport News Shipbuilding prior to
nearly 19,000 planned changes). According to the Navy, many of these 19,000 flooding the basin and floating the ship.
changes were programmed into the construction schedule early ona result of
the governments decision at contract award to introduce improvements during construction to the ships warfare
systems, which are heavily dependent on evolving commercial technologies.[50]

Naming [edit]
There was a movement by the USS America Carrier Veterans' Association to have CVN-78 named after America rather
than after President Ford. Eventually, the amphibious assault ship LHA-6 was named America.
On 27 May 2011, the U.S. Department of Defense announced the name of CVN-79 would be USS John F. Kennedy.[58]
On 1 December 2012, Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus announced that CVN-80 would be named USS Enterprise. The
information was delivered during a prerecorded speech as part of the deactivation ceremony for the previous USS
Enterprise (CVN-65). The future Enterprise (CVN-80) will be the ninth U.S. Navy ship to bear this name.[59]

Ships in class [edit]

There are expected to be ten ships of this class.[60] To date, three have been
announced:

Gerald R. Ford arrives at NS Norfolk

following seven days of builders trials
in April 2017

Hull
Scheduled to
Ship classification Laid down Launched Commissioned Status References
replace
symbol
13
Gerald R. November 2017 Enterprise (CVN-
CVN-78 November Sea trials
Ford 2013[61] (scheduled) 65)
2009
John F. 22 August 2018 2020 Under [62][63]
CVN-79 Nimitz (CVN-68)
Kennedy 2015 (scheduled) (scheduled) construction
Dwight D.
2018 2023 2025 [63]
Enterprise CVN-80 Eisenhower (CVN- Planned
(scheduled) (scheduled) (scheduled)
69)

See also [edit]

A1B reactor
United States Navy portal
List of aircraft carriers
List of aircraft carrier classes of the United States Navy
Modern United States Navy carrier air operations
Naval aviation
Ship class

Notes [edit]
1. ^ Before its redesignation to Ford class (CVN-78), the new carrier was known as the CVNX carrier program ("X" meaning "in
development") and then as the CVN-21 carrier program. (Here, the "21" is not a hull number, but rather it is common in
"future" plans in the U.S. military, alluding to the 21st century.)

References [edit]
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Nuclear Aircraft Carrier (PDF), Director, Operational Test & Evaluation
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 External links [edit]
Aircraft Carriers CVN US Navy Fact File Wikimedia Commons has
Design & Preparations Continue for the USA's New CVN-21 Super-Carrier media related to Gerald R.
Ford class aircraft carriers.
(updated) , Defense Industry Daily. Provides an extensive briefing re: the
new ship class, and adds entries for many of the contracts under this program.
Gerald R. Ford Class (CVN-78) Aircraft Carrier on Navy Recognition site

v t e Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carriers

Gerald R. Ford John F. Kennedy Enterprise
Preceded by: Nimitz class Followed by: None
List of aircraft carriers of the United States Navy

Categories: Aircraft carrier classes Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carriers Proposed aircraft carriers

This page was last edited on 11 May 2017, at 21:47.

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