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Military

World's largest supercarrier USS Gerald R Ford commissioned

By David Szondy
July 22, 2017
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The USS Gerald R Ford is expected to go operational in 2021
US Navy
The USS Gerald R Ford is expected to go operational in 2021
US Navy
The USS Gerald R Ford is the first in a new class of US supercarriers
US Navy

The US Navy has officially welcomed the world's largest aircraft carrier into the fleet. At 10:00 am today at Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia, the 110,000 ton, nuclear-powered USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) was formally commissioned in a ceremony where President Donald Trump gave the principal address inaugurating the vessel into its half century of active service.

The ceremony was attended by US government officials, naval personnel and their families, contractors, and guests as well as the ship's first commander, Captain Richard McCormack. The Ford's sponsor was Susan Ford Bales, daughter of the late President Gerald Ford after whom the ship is named.

The keel for the US$12.8 billion aircraft carrier was laid down in 2009 and is the first new US aircraft carrier design in 40 years as well as the first in the Gerald R. Ford class, The second ship, USS John F. Kennedy (CVN 79) is under construction and work has begun on the future USS Enterprise (CVN 80). The Ford will now undergo final outfitting and testing before operational deployment in 2021.

The USS Gerald R Ford is the first in a new class of US supercarriers
US Navy

"The nation's going to be very proud of USS Gerald R. Ford," says Chief of Naval Operations Admiral John Richardson. "I am incredibly thankful for the shipyard workers and Sailors who worked amazingly hard to bring this mighty ship to life. This Saturday will be a huge day for our Navy and our nation. The new technology and warfighting capabilities that Ford brings will transform naval warfare, making us a more lethal Navy. The increased combat power will enable new ways to combine information, ships, aircraft and undersea forces, changing how we operate and fight."

Source: US Navy

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David Szondy
David Szondy is a playwright, author and journalist based in Seattle, Washington. A retired field archaeologist and university lecturer, he has a background in the history of science, technology, and medicine with a particular emphasis on aerospace, military, and cybernetic subjects. In addition, he is the author of four award-winning plays, a novel, reviews, and a plethora of scholarly works ranging from industrial archaeology to law. David has worked as a feature writer for many international magazines and has been a feature writer for New Atlas since 2011.
7 comments
Tommo
USA spends more on their military than everyone else combined. When will this madness end?
Infidel762
The madness will end when we are no longer threatened by tyrants and maniacs.
McDesign
Well, spend, yes, but you can think of it as a jobs program - most of that money spent cycles several times through the US economy, not least from the incomes of the workers.
Douglas Bennett Rogers
The US pays a large part of the defense budget of many countries.
bwana4swahili
A 110,000 ton, $13 billion target! Might as well paint a big bullseye on the deck before putting it in operation...
$13 billion would go a long way to helping healthcare and education in the USA.
Bob
Technology is a wonderful thing but sheer numbers and low tech can often overwhelm it. As more EMP weapons are developed, these high tech targets will be sitting ducks. I remember during Desert Storm when they claimed that our Patriot missiles were knocking down most of the scuds. I watched live feeds on my satellite dish which showed that most had actually missed their target. We were then told that due to the frame rate on the videos, what appeared to be misses were actually hits. This was total bologna since both missiles were in the same frames and the Patriots definitely missed. It was admitted a few years later that there was a software glitch, the Patriots were exploding too late and it was supposedly fixed. No sophisticated software is without bugs and glitches.
st1100
At times I wonder who the tyrants are in the world today. So much money spent to rule the world. China is using soft power all over the world, as the US did after WW II. But now it seems might makes right and that is so wrong. Clean water, air, food for all, that could be the alternative, but I guess you can't shoot and kill so many that way. It's horrible to say the least. Oh, more jobs? Hmmm, how much more could mankind benefit from jobs in better areas? Many more times for sure. Peace not war has to be the motto!
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