View source for Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carrier

{{Short description|Class of supercarriers for the U.S. Navy}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2019}}
{{Redirect|Ford class|the 1950s Royal Navy vessels|Ford-class seaward defence boat}}
{|{{Infobox ship begin
| infobox caption = ''Gerald R. Ford''-class aircraft carrier
}}
{{Infobox ship image
| Ship image = File:USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) underway on 8 April 2017.JPG
| Ship image size = 300px
| image alt = USS ''Gerald R. Ford'' underway
| Ship caption = {{USS|Gerald R. Ford}} underway in April 2017
}}{{Infobox ship class overview
| Name = ''Gerald R. Ford''-class aircraft carrier
| Builders = [[Newport News Shipbuilding]]
| Operators = {{naval|United States}}
| Class before = *{{sclass|Nimitz|aircraft carrier|4}}
*{{sclass|Enterprise|aircraft carrier|4}}
| Class after = 
| Subclasses = 
| Cost = *Program cost: [[United States dollar|US$]]37.30 billion {{small|(FY2018)}}<ref name=fas />
*Unit cost: US$12.998 billion {{small|(FY2018)}}<ref name=fas />
| Built range = 
| In service range = 2017–present
| In commission range = 
}}{{Infobox ship class overview
| Hide header = yes
| Total ships planned = 10<ref>Combat fleet of the world 2012</ref><ref name="NavyAwards">{{cite news|last1=Keller|first1=John|title=Navy awards $3.4 billion contract to Huntington Ingalls to build Ford-class aircraft carrier|url=http://www.militaryaerospace.com/articles/2015/06/aircraft-carrier-kennedy.html|work=Military Aerospace Electronics Magazine|date=8 June 2015|access-date=28 October 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151117022655/http://www.militaryaerospace.com/articles/2015/06/aircraft-carrier-kennedy.html|archive-date=17 November 2015|url-status=live}}</ref>
| Total ships completed = 1
| Total ships cancelled = 
| Total ships active = 1
| Total ships laid up = 
| Total ships retired = 
| Total ships preserved = 
| Total ships building = 2
| Total ships on order = 1
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
| Hide header = 
| Header caption = 
| Ship type = [[Aircraft carrier]]
| Ship tonnage = 
| Ship displacement = {{G.R.Ford class CVN displacement}}
| Ship length = {{convert|1092|ft|m|abbr=on}}<ref name=factfiles>{{cite web |url=https://www.navy.mil/Resources/Fact-Files/Display-FactFiles/Article/2169795/aircraft-carriers-cvn/ |title=Aircraft Carriers - CVN |work=Fact Files |publisher=U.S. Navy Office of Information |date=17 September 2020 |access-date=18 November 2020 }}</ref> – {{convert|1106|ft|m|abbr=on}}<ref>{{cite web |title=Command History & Facts |url=https://www.airlant.usff.navy.mil/Organization/Aircraft-Carriers/USS-Gerald-R-Ford-CVN-78/Command-History/ |website=[[Naval Air Force Atlantic|Commander, Naval Air Force Atlantic]] |publisher=US Navy |access-date=8 March 2021}}</ref>
| Ship beam = *{{convert|256|ft|abbr=on}} (flight deck)<ref name="NavyFacts"/>
*{{convert|134|ft|abbr=on}} (waterline)<ref name="NavyFacts"/>
| Ship height = {{convert|250|ft}}<ref name="Interesting Engineering">{{Cite web |last=McFadden |first=Christopher |date=2022-06-24 |title=USS Gerald R. Ford: The most advanced carrier of the US cost around $13.3 billion to build |url=https://interestingengineering.com/uss-gerald-r-ford-advanced-carrier-us |access-date=2022-07-07 |website=Interesting Engineering}}</ref>
| Ship draft = {{convert|39|ft|abbr=on}}<ref name=Ford_uscarriers.net>{{cite web |title=USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) |url=http://www.uscarriers.net/cvn78.htm |work=U.S. Carriers |publisher=US Navy |access-date=1 December 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140328011747/http://www.uscarriers.net/cvn78.htm |archive-date=28 March 2014 |url-status=live }}</ref>
| Ship depth = 
| Ship decks = 25
| Ship deck clearance = 
| Ship ramps = 
| Ship power = {{Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carrier power}}
| Ship propulsion = Four shafts
| Ship speed = In excess of {{convert|30|kn|lk=in}}<ref name=factfiles/>
| Ship range = Unlimited
| Ship endurance = 50-year service life
| Ship boats = 
| Ship capacity = 
| Ship troops = 
| Ship complement = *508 officers
*3,789 enlisted<ref name="Ford_uscarriers.net" />
| Ship crew = About 2,600<ref name="FortuneTechCommission">{{cite news|last1=Jenkins|first1=Aric|title=The USS Gerald Ford Is the Most Advanced Aircraft Carrier in the World|url=http://fortune.com/2017/07/22/uss-gerald-ford-commissioning/|access-date=23 July 2017|work=Fortune|date=22 July 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170723003253/http://fortune.com/2017/07/22/uss-gerald-ford-commissioning/|archive-date=23 July 2017|url-status=live}}</ref>
| Ship time to activate = 
| Ship sensors = * [[AN/SPY-3]] Multi-Function Radar (MFR) [[X band]] [[active electronically scanned array]]
* [[AN/SPY-4]] Volume Search Radar (VSR) [[S band]] [[active electronically scanned array]] (CVN-78)
* [[AN/SPY-6]] Volume Search Radar (VSR) [[S band]] [[active electronically scanned array]] (CVN-79 and up)
| Ship EW = * [[AN/SLQ-32 electronic warfare suite|AN/SLQ-32(V)6]] electronic warfare system<ref>{{Cite web |date= |title=FY 2022 Annual Report |url=https://www.dote.osd.mil/Portals/97/pub/reports/FY2022/other/2022annual-report1.pdf |access-date=2023-06-19 |publisher=[[Director, Operational Test and Evaluation]] |page=167}}</ref>
* [[AN/SLQ-25 Nixie|AN/SLQ-25C Nixie]] towed torpedo decoys<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Zulkifli |first1=Muhammad |last2=Muhammad |first2=Fadli |last3=Nurjanah |title=Strengthening Indonesia Naval Base as a Aircraft Carrier at the Frontier to Increase Power of Deterrence and State Defense at Sea |url=http://www.jodrm.eu/issues/Volume12_issue2/19_ZULKIFLI_FADLI_NURJANAH.pdf |journal=Journal of Defense Resources Management |year=2021 |volume=12 |issue=2 |pages=252}}</ref>
| Ship armament = * '''[[Surface-to-air missile]]s:'''
* 2 × Mk 29 Guided Missile Launching Systems, 8 × [[RIM-162 ESSM|RIM-162 Evolved SeaSparrow Missile]] (ESSM) each
* 2 × Mk 49 Guided Missile Launching Systems, 21 × [[RIM-116 Rolling Airframe Missile]]s each
* '''Guns:'''
* 3 × [[Phalanx CIWS]]
* 4 × [[Mark 38 25 mm Machine Gun System|Mk 38 25 mm Machine Gun System]]s
* 4 × [[M2 Browning|M2 .50 cal. (12.7 mm)]] [[machine gun]]s
| Ship armor = 
| Ship aircraft = 75+<ref name="NavyFacts">{{cite web |title= Aircraft Carriers – CVN |url= https://www.navy.mil/Resources/Fact-Files/Display-FactFiles/Article/2169795/aircraft-carriers-cvn/ |website= navy.mil |date= 16 October 2014 |publisher= Department of the Navy |access-date= 19 July 2022 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20131017130812/http://www.navy.mil/navydata/fact_display.asp?cid=4200&tid=200&ct=4 |archive-date= 17 October 2013 |url-status= live }}</ref>
| Ship aircraft facilities = {{convert|1092|×|252|ft|m|abbr=on}} flight deck
| Ship notes = 
}}
|}
The '''''Gerald R. Ford''-class''' [[Nuclear marine propulsion|nuclear-powered]] [[aircraft carrier]]s are currently being constructed for the [[United States Navy]], which intends to eventually acquire ten of these ships in order to replace current carriers on a one-for-one basis, starting with the [[lead ship]] of her class, {{USS|Gerald R. Ford|CVN-78|2}} (CVN-78), replacing {{USS|Enterprise|CVN-65|3}}, and later the {{sclass|Nimitz|aircraft carrier|0}} carriers. The new vessels have a hull similar to the ''Nimitz'' class, but they carry technologies since developed with the CVN(X)/CVN-21 program,<ref group=N>Before its redesignation to ''Gerald R. Ford'' class, the new carrier (CVN-78) was known as the CVN(X) carrier program ("X" meaning "in development") and then as the CVN-21 carrier program. (Here, "21" is not a hull number, but rather it is common in future plans of the US military, alluding to the 21st century.)</ref> such as the [[Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System]] (EMALS), as well as other design features intended to improve efficiency and reduce operating costs, including sailing with smaller crews.<ref name=CVN_21>{{cite web|url=http://www.naval-technology.com/projects/cvn-21/|publisher=Naval technology.com|title=CVN 78 Gerald R Ford Class|access-date=26 March 2010|date=22 December 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131220095616/http://www.naval-technology.com/projects/cvn-21|archive-date=20 December 2013|url-status=live}}</ref> This class of aircraft carriers is named after former U.S. President [[Gerald Ford|Gerald R. Ford]].<ref>{{Cite news |last= McLaughlin |first= Elizabeth |date= 2 March 2017 |title=The USS Gerald R. Ford: By the numbers |url=https://abcnews.go.com/US/uss-gerald-ford-numbers/story?id=45854702 |access-date=26 January 2022 |work= ABC News |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20201112041418/https://abcnews.go.com/US/uss-gerald-ford-numbers/story?id=45854702 |archive-date= 12 November 2020 |url-status= live}}</ref> CVN-78 was procured in 2008 and [[Ship commissioning|commissioned]] into service on 22 July 2017. The second ship of the class, {{USS|John F. Kennedy|CVN-79|3}}, is scheduled to enter service in 2025.

==Design features==
Carriers of the ''Gerald R. Ford'' class have:<ref name="fas">{{cite web|url=https://fas.org/sgp/crs/weapons/RS20643.pdf|publisher=Congressional Research Service|title=Navy Ford (CVN-78) Class Aircraft Carrier Program: Background and Issues for Congress|first1=Ronald|last1=O'Rourke|access-date=16 January 2018|date=22 December 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171228190957/https://fas.org/sgp/crs/weapons/RS20643.pdf|archive-date=28 December 2017|url-status=live}}</ref>
* [[Advanced Arresting Gear]].<ref name="aw_emals">{{cite web|url=http://aviationweek.com/awin/carrier-launch-system-passes-initial-tests|title=Carrier Launch System Passes Initial Tests|publisher=Aviation Week|date=1 June 2010|first1=Bill|last1=Sweetman|access-date=14 August 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170815072348/http://aviationweek.com/awin/carrier-launch-system-passes-initial-tests|archive-date=15 August 2017|url-status=live}}</ref>
* Automation, allowing a crew of several hundred fewer than the ''Nimitz''-class carrier.<ref name="DID05">{{cite web|url=http://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/2005/12/costing-the-cvn21-a-did-primer/index.php|title=Costing the CVN-21: A DID Primer|publisher=Defense Industry Daily|date=19 December 2005|access-date=7 November 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070612145227/http://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/2005/12/costing-the-cvn21-a-did-primer/index.php|archive-date=12 June 2007|url-status=live}} Covers the costs of the CVN-21 program, how those are calculated, and where the $5&nbsp;billion savings on operational costs is expected to come from over the ship's planned 50-year lifetime.</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Gerald R. Ford-class Nuclear-Powered Aircraft Carriers, US |url=https://www.naval-technology.com/projects/gerald-r-ford-class/ |access-date=2024-10-30 |website=Naval Technology |language=en-US}}</ref>
* The updated [[RIM-162 ESSM|RIM-162 Evolved SeaSparrow Missile]].<ref name="naval-technology.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.naval-technology.com/projects/cvn-21/|title=Gerald R Ford Class (CVN 78/79) – US Navy CVN 21 Future Carrier Programme – Naval Technology|work=naval-technology.com|access-date=1 April 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131220095616/http://www.naval-technology.com/projects/cvn-21|archive-date=20 December 2013|url-status=live}}</ref>
* An [[AN/SPY-3]] [[X Band]] multifunction radar and an [[AN/SPY-4]] [[S Band]] volume search radar.<ref name="AN/SPY-4">{{cite web|title=AN/SPY-4 Volume Search Radar|url=http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/ship/systems/vsr.htm|website=GlobalSecurity.org|access-date=10 August 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170811061206/http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/ship/systems/vsr.htm|archive-date=11 August 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> Designated together as Dual Band Radar (DBR), initially developed for the {{sclass|Zumwalt|destroyer}}s.<ref name="fas.org">{{cite web|url=https://fas.org/sgp/crs/weapons/RL32109.pdf|website=Congressional Research Service|title=Navy DDG-51 and DDG-1000 Destroyer Programs: Background and Issues for Congress|first1=Ronald|last1=O'Rourke|date=31 May 2017|access-date=4 April 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150328211730/http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/weapons/RL32109.pdf|archive-date=28 March 2015|url-status=live}}</ref> Starting with ''John F. Kennedy'' (CVN-79), the [[AN/SPY-6]] will replace the AN/SPY-4 as the volume search component of the system.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://news.usni.org/2016/08/22/raytheon-awarded-92m-navy-contract-future-carrier-big-deck-aesa-radars|title = Raytheon Awarded $92M Navy Contract for Future Carrier Radars|date = 22 August 2016}}</ref>
* An [[Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System]] (EMALS) in place of traditional steam catapults for launching aircraft.<ref name="aw_emals"/>
* A new nuclear reactor design (the [[A1B reactor]]) for greater power generation.
* [[Stealth technology|Stealth features]] to reduce [[radar cross-section]].
* 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-35 Lightning II#F-35C|Lockheed Martin F-35C Lightning II]], [[Sikorsky SH-60 Seahawk]] helicopters, and [[Unmanned Carrier-Launched Airborne Surveillance and Strike|unmanned combat aerial vehicle]]s.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.defensenews.com/naval/2018/08/30/us-navy-selects-builder-for-new-mq-25-stingray-aerial-refueling-drone/ |publisher=DefenseNews |title=US Navy selects builder for new MQ-25 Stingray aerial refueling drone|date=31 August 2018 }}</ref><ref name="naval-technology.com"/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://nae.ahf.nmci.navy.mil/downloads/NAV2010_04_Future_carrier_CVW_amphib_ACE_sp.pdf |publisher=US Navy (Navy Fact File) |title=Aircraft Carriers – CVN 21 Program |date=9 February 2011 |access-date=9 February 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110722200937/http://nae.ahf.nmci.navy.mil/downloads/NAV2010_04_Future_carrier_CVW_amphib_ACE_sp.pdf |archive-date=22 July 2011 }}</ref>

The biggest visible difference from earlier supercarriers is the more aft location of the [[Aircraft carrier#Structure|island (superstructure)]].<ref>{{cite web|last=Keeter |first=Hunter |title=New Carrier Island Is at Heart of Higher Sortie Rates for CVN 21 |url=http://www.navyleague.org/sea_power/jun_03_23.php |publisher=NavyLeague.org |access-date=21 August 2011 |date=June 2003 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110927163117/http://www.navyleague.org/sea_power/jun_03_23.php |archive-date=27 September 2011 }}</ref> The ''Gerald R. Ford''-class carriers will have a reduced [[whole-life cost]] due in part to reduced crew size.<ref name=DID05/> These ships are intended to sustain 160 [[Sortie#Military aviation|sorties]] per day for 30-plus days, with a surge capability of 270 sorties per day.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://navalaviationnews.navylive.dodlive.mil/2015/12/22/head-of-the-class/ |title=Head of the Class |publisher=Naval Aviation News |date=22 December 2015 |access-date=15 February 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160216184545/http://navalaviationnews.navylive.dodlive.mil/2015/12/22/head-of-the-class/ |archive-date=16 February 2016 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="OTE">{{Citation |url=http://www.dote.osd.mil/pub/reports/FY2013/pdf/navy/2013cvn78.pdf |title=FY2013 Annual Report for the Office of the Director, Operational Test & Evaluation – CVN-78 Gerald R. Ford Class Nuclear Aircraft Carrier |publisher=Director, Operational Test & Evaluation |access-date=8 February 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140525041336/http://www.dote.osd.mil/pub/reports/FY2013/pdf/navy/2013cvn78.pdf |archive-date=25 May 2014 |url-status=dead }}</ref> 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.<ref name="OTE"/><ref>{{Cite news | url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2014-01-10/hagel-told-new-carrier-unlikely-to-meet-aircraft-goals | title=Hagel Told New Carrier Unlikely to Meet Aircraft Goals | author=Tony Capaccio | date=10 January 2014 | newspaper=Bloomberg | access-date=28 December 2016 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161229032209/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2014-01-10/hagel-told-new-carrier-unlikely-to-meet-aircraft-goals | archive-date=29 December 2016 | url-status=live }}</ref>

==Development==
[[File:USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) arrives at Naval Station Norfolk on 14 April 2017 (cropped).JPG|thumb|left|''Gerald R. Ford'' arrived at [[Naval Station Norfolk]] after seven days of builders trials in April 2017.]]

The current {{sclass|Nimitz|aircraft carriers|2}} in US naval service have 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 in excess of {{convert|30|kn|lk=in}}, cruise without resupply for 90 days, and launch aircraft to strike targets hundreds of miles away.<ref>"Ship Information". USS ''Nimitz'' Homepage. 4 March 2008.</ref> The endurance of the ''Nimitz'' class is exemplified by {{USS|Theodore Roosevelt|CVN-71|6}}, which spent 159&nbsp;days underway during [[Operation Enduring Freedom]] without visiting a port or being refueled.<ref>"Our Ship". USS ''Theodore Roosevelt'' (CVN&nbsp;71) Web Page. 4 March 2008.</ref>

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 [[Metacentric height|center-of-gravity]] margin needed to maintain ship stability."<ref>Schank, John. Modernizing the U.S. Aircraft Carrier Fleet: Accelerating CVN&nbsp;21 Production Versus Mid-Life Refueling. Santa Monica: Rand Corporation, 2005. p.&nbsp;76.</ref>

With these constraints in mind, the US Navy developed what was initially known as the CVN-21 program, which 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|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.<ref name="Larrabee, Chuck 2008">Larrabee, Chuck. DDG 1000 Dual Band Radar (DBR). Raytheon. 1 March 2008.</ref>

These advances will allow the new ''Gerald R. Ford''-class carriers to launch 25% more [[sortie]]s, generate triple the electrical power with improved efficiency, and offer crew quality-of-life improvements.<ref name="NavyFacts"/><ref name="CVN_21"/>

===Flight deck===
[[File:USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) and USS Harry S. Truman (CVN-75) underway in the Atlantic Ocean on 4 June 2020 (200604-N-BD352-0199).JPG|thumb|Aerial view of ''Gerald R. Ford'' (CVN-78, bottom) alongside {{USS|Harry S. Truman}} (CVN-75, top), a ship of the preceding {{sclass|Nimitz|aircraft carrier|4}}]]

Catapult No. 4 on the ''Nimitz'' class cannot launch fully loaded aircraft because of low wing clearance along the edge of the flight deck.<ref>Schank, John. ''Modernizing the U.S. Aircraft Carrier Fleet'', p.&nbsp;77.</ref>

The movement of weapons from storage and assembly to the aircraft on the flight deck has also been streamlined and accelerated. [[Ammunition#Ordnance ammunition|Ordnance]] will be lifted to the centralized rearming location via higher-capacity weapons elevators that use linear motors.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://military.federalequipment.com/node/9|title=Advanced Weapons Elevators|work=Federal Equipment Co.|access-date=1 April 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130222033813/http://military.federalequipment.com/node/9|archive-date=22 February 2013|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}}</ref> These 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 will make it hypothetically possible to rearm the airplanes in "minutes instead of hours".<ref>Keeter, Hunter. "New carrier island is a heart of higher sortie rates for CVN&nbsp;21". BNET Business Management Network. 4 March 2008.</ref>

===Power generation===
The new Bechtel [[A1B reactor]] for the ''Gerald R. Ford'' class is smaller and simpler, requires fewer crew, and yet is far more powerful than the ''Nimitz''-class [[A4W reactor]]. Two reactors will be installed on each ''Gerald R. Ford''-class carrier, providing a power generation capacity at least 25% greater than the 550 MW (thermal) of the two A4W reactors in a ''Nimitz''-class carrier.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/Non-Power-Nuclear-Applications/Transport/Nuclear-Powered-Ships/ |title=Nuclear-Powered Ships |work=world-nuclear.org |access-date=1 April 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130612204746/http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/Non-Power-Nuclear-Applications/Transport/Nuclear-Powered-Ships/ |archive-date=12 June 2013 |url-status=live }}</ref> The portion of thermal power allotted to electrical generation will be tripled.<ref name=Propulsion>{{cite web|url=http://mragheb.com/NPRE%20402%20ME%20405%20Nuclear%20Power%20Engineering/Nuclear%20Marine%20Propulsion.pdf|title=Nuclear Marine Propulsion|first1=M.|last1=Ragheb|date=18 June 2017|work=mregheb.com|access-date=29 October 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140812000038/http://mragheb.com/NPRE%20402%20ME%20405%20Nuclear%20Power%20Engineering/Nuclear%20Marine%20Propulsion.pdf|archive-date=12 August 2014|url-status=live}}</ref>

The propulsion and power plant of the ''Nimitz''-class carriers were designed in the 1960s, when onboard technologies required less electrical power. "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."<ref name="Mid-Life_Refueling">{{cite web|last1=Schank|first1=John|last2=Smith|first2=Giles|last3=Alkire|first3=Brien|last4=Arena|first4=Mark V.|title=Modernizing the U.S. Aircraft Carrier Fleet: Accelerating CVN 21 Production Versus Mid-Life Refueling|url=https://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/monographs/2006/RAND_MG289.sum.pdf|website=Rand|date=2005|access-date=25 August 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141020234951/http://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/monographs/2006/RAND_MG289.sum.pdf|archive-date=20 October 2014|url-status=live}}</ref>

The ''Gerald R. Ford''-class ships convert steam into power by piping it to four main turbine generators (MTG) to generate electricity for major ship systems, and the new electromagnetic catapults.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://taskandpurpose.com/navy-gerald--ford-carrier-problems |title= Gerald Ford Carrier Problems|date= 27 March 2019 |access-date=6 July 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190706081246/https://taskandpurpose.com/navy-gerald--ford-carrier-problems |archive-date=6 July 2019 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=POGO_Ford/> The ''Gerald R. Ford''-class ships use steam turbines for propulsion.<ref name=POGO_Ford>{{cite web |title=How Not to Build a Ship: The USS Ford |website=Project on Government Oversight |url= https://www.pogo.org/investigation/2017/05/how-not-to-build-ship-uss-ford/ |date= 30 May 2017 |access-date= 1 January 2020}}</ref>

A larger power output is a major component of the [[Electronic Warfare|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. Only half of the electric power generation capacity is used by currently planned systems, with half remaining available for future technologies.<ref name="Schank, John p. 83">Schank, John. ''Modernizing the U.S. Aircraft Carrier Fleet'' p.&nbsp;83.</ref>

===Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System===
{{main|Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System}}
[[File:EMALS.JPG|thumb|A drawing of the EMALS's linear induction motor]]
The Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS) launches aircraft by means of a [[Aircraft catapult|catapult]] employing a [[linear induction motor]] rather than the [[steam catapult|steam piston]] used on the ''Nimitz'' class. The EMALS accelerates aircraft more smoothly, putting less stress on their airframes. The EMALS also weighs less, is expected to cost less and require less maintenance, and can launch both heavier and lighter aircraft than a steam piston-driven system. It also reduces the carrier's requirement for fresh water, thus reducing the demand for energy-intensive [[desalination]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS) |url=https://www.navair.navy.mil/product/Electromagnetic-Aircraft-Launch-System-EMALS |website=Navair}}</ref>

===Advanced Arresting Gear landing system===
{{main|Advanced Arresting Gear}}
{{Refimprovesection|date=January 2021}}
Electromagnets are also being 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{{Update inline|reasocaThe attached source is from 2005|date=January 2021}} system is unable to capture unmanned aerial vehicles (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.<ref>Rodriguez, Carmelo. "Launch and Recovery Testing". ITEA-SAN. Turboelectric Arresting Gear. Mission Valley Hotel, San Diego. 16 June 2005.</ref>

===Sensors and self-defense systems===
{{multiple image
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Another addition to the ''Gerald R. Ford'' class is an integrated [[active electronically scanned array]] [[Radar configurations and types#Detection and search radars|search and tracking radar]] system. The dual-band radar (DBR) was being developed by [[Raytheon]], for both the [[Zumwalt-class destroyer|''Zumwalt''-class guided missile destroyers]] and the ''Gerald R. Ford''-class aircraft carriers. 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]] [[AN/SPY-4]] Volume Search Radar (VSR) emitters, distributed into three [[phased array]]s.<ref>Larrabee, Chuck. "Raytheon Successfully Integrates Final Element of Dual Band Radar for DDG 1000 Zumwalt Class Destroyer". Raytheon News Release. 4 March 2008.</ref> The S-band radar was later deleted from the ''Zumwalt''-class destroyers to save money.<ref name="fas.org" />

The three faces dedicated to the X-band radar handle low-altitude tracking and [[radar illumination]], while the three S-band faces handle 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."<ref name="Larrabee, Chuck 2008"/>

This new system has no moving parts, therefore minimizing maintenance and manning requirements for operation. The [[AN/SPY-3]] consists of three [[Active electronically scanned array|active arrays]] and the Receiver/Exciter (REX) cabinets above-decks 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).<ref name=CACS>{{cite web|url=http://www.navsea.navy.mil/nswc/dahlgren/Leading%20Edge/Sensors/03_Development.pdf |title=Dual-Band Radar Development: From Engineering Design to Production|access-date=28 October 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141212012332/http://www.navsea.navy.mil/nswc/dahlgren/Leading%20Edge/Sensors/03_Development.pdf |archive-date=12 December 2014 |last1=Tolley|first1=Alan L.|last2=Ball|first2=John E.|website=NAVSEA Warfare Center}}</ref>

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, {{USS|John F. Kennedy|CVN-79|3}}, in lieu of the Dual Band radar. The {{sclass|America|amphibious assault ship|1}}s starting with LHA-8 and the planned LX(R) will also have this radar.<ref>{{cite web |title=Navy C4ISR and Unmanned Systems |url=http://www.seapower-digital.com/seapower/january_2016?pg=93#pg93 |work=Sea Power 2016 Almanac |publisher=[[Navy League of the United States|Navy League of the U.S.]] |date=January 2016 |page=91 |access-date=9 November 2016 |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170128204404/http://www.seapower-digital.com/seapower/january_2016?pg=93#pg93 |archive-date=28 January 2017 }}</ref> The EASR suite's initial per-unit cost will be about $180 million less than the DBR, for which the estimate is about $500 million.<ref name="EASR">{{cite web|title=Enterprise Air Surveillance Radar (EASR)|url=http://aviationweek.com/site-files/aviationweek.com/files/uploads/2015/08/ASD_reqsdoss_EASR_0824.pdf|website=Aerospace Daily & Defense Report|publisher=Aviation Week Network|date=24 August 2014|access-date=7 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161007031621/http://aviationweek.com/site-files/aviationweek.com/files/uploads/2015/08/ASD_reqsdoss_EASR_0824.pdf|archive-date=7 October 2016|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Possible upgrades===
[[File:Navy laser shoots drone..jpg|thumb|[[AN/SEQ-3 Laser Weapon System|AN/SEQ-3]] laser prototype during an on-board test|left]]Future defense systems, such as [[free-electron laser]] [[directed-energy weapon]]s, [[Electric armour|electric 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 electric armor."<ref name="Schank, John p. 83" /> 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.<ref>{{Citation |last = Taylor |first = Leslie |title = CVN21 MS&A Overview |place = NDIA |date = 7 June 2006 }}.</ref>

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 disposal|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 [[Newport News Shipbuilding|Huntington Ingalls]] shipyard in late 2011 for installation on the carrier.<ref>{{Citation |title= The Plasma Arc Waste Destruction System to Reduce Waste Aboard CVN-78 |publisher= Seaframe – Carderock Division Publication |year= 2008 |url= https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/pdfs/ADA519815.pdf |page= 13 |access-date= 1 December 2012 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20121201202200/http://www.dtic.mil/cgi-bin/GetTRDoc?Location=U2&doc=GetTRDoc.pdf&AD=ADA519815 |archive-date= 1 December 2012 |url-status= live }}</ref>

The Navy is developing a [[free-electron laser]] (FEL) to defend against cruise missiles and small-boat swarms.<ref name="Scaling_FEL">{{cite web|last1=Wang|first1=Brian|title=US Navy plans for scaling Free electron lasers to megawatt weapon systems|url=https://www.nextbigfuture.com/2016/03/us-navy-plans-for-scaling-free-electron.html|website=Next Big Future|access-date=9 August 2017|date=4 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170809212516/https://www.nextbigfuture.com/2016/03/us-navy-plans-for-scaling-free-electron.html|archive-date=9 August 2017|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title = Unexpectedly, Navy's superlaser blasts away a record |newspaper = Wired |date = 18 February 2011 |url = https://www.wired.com/2011/02/unexpectedly-navys-superlaser-blasts-away-a-record/ |first1 = Spencer |last1 = Ackerman |access-date = 7 March 2017 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170130132110/https://www.wired.com/2011/02/unexpectedly-navys-superlaser-blasts-away-a-record/ |archive-date = 30 January 2017 |url-status = live }}.</ref><ref>{{Cite web |website = Congressional Research Service |url = https://fas.org/sgp/crs/weapons/R41526.pdf |title = Navy Shipboard Lasers for Surface, Air, and Missile Defense: Background and Issues for Congress |first1 = Ronald |last1 = O'Rourke |date = 12 June 2015 |access-date = 4 April 2015 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150328211737/http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/weapons/R41526.pdf |archive-date = 28 March 2015 |url-status = live }}.</ref>

===3D computer-aided design===
Newport News Shipbuilding used a full-scale three-dimensional product model developed in Dassault Systèmes [[CATIA]] V5 to design and plan the construction of the ''Gerald R. Ford'' class of aircraft carriers.<ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tiA_Pq0--MY |title=Dassault Systemes 3D simulation – CATIA goes virtual reality |date=15 July 2011 |work=YouTube |access-date=30 December 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170818122748/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tiA_Pq0--MY |archive-date=18 August 2017 |url-status=live }}</ref>

The CVN 78 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.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/monographs/2006/RAND_MG289.pdf|title=MODERNIZING THE U.S. AIRCRAFT CARRIER FLEET – Accelerating CVN 21 Production Versus Mid-Life Refueling|work=National Defense Research Institute|publisher=RAND Corporation|access-date=17 March 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141020234949/http://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/monographs/2006/RAND_MG289.pdf|archive-date=20 October 2014|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Planned aircraft complement===
The ''Gerald R. Ford'' class is designed to accommodate the new Joint Strike Fighter carrier variant aircraft ([[Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II|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-78's EMALS and advanced arresting gear system and testing the ship's storage capabilities for the F-35C's lithium-ion batteries, tires, and wheels. As a result of F-35C developmental delays, the US Navy will not field the aircraft until at least 2018—one year after CVN-78 delivery.{{Needs update|date=February 2023}} As a result, the Navy has deferred critical F-35C integration activities, which introduces a risk of system incompatibilities and costly retrofits to the ship after it is delivered to the Navy.<ref name="gao.gov">{{cite web|title=FORD - CLASS CARRIERS: Lead Ship Testing and Reliability Shortfalls Will Limit Initial Fleet Capabilities|url=http://www.gao.gov/assets/660/657412.pdf|publisher=GAO|date=September 2013|access-date=24 October 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140927181245/http://www.gao.gov/assets/660/657412.pdf|archive-date=27 September 2014|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Crew accommodations===
[[File:Ford Crew Quarters.jpg|thumb|A typical berthing on ''Gerald R. Ford''-class aircraft carriers of three racks per section]]

Systems that reduce crew workload have allowed the [[ship's company]] on ''Gerald R. Ford''-class carriers to total only 2,600 sailors, about 700 fewer than a ''Nimitz''-class carrier. The massive, 180-man [[berthing]] areas on the ''Nimitz'' class are replaced by 40-rack berthing areas on ''Gerald R. Ford''-class carriers. The smaller berthings are quieter and the layout requires less foot traffic through other spaces.<ref name=CrewShip/> Typically the racks are stacked three high, with locker space per person. The berthings do not feature modern "sit-up" racks with more headroom; bottom and middle racks only accommodate a sailor lying down. Each berthing has an associated [[head (watercraft)|head]], including showers, vacuum-powered septic-system toilets (no urinals since the berthings are built gender-neutral)<ref name="urinals">{{Cite news |url=http://www.dailypress.com/business/ports/shipping-news-blog/dp-no-urinals-on-the-fordclass-carriers-20120625-post.html |title=No urinals on the Ford-class carriers |last=Shapiro |first=Michael Welles |date=25 June 2012 |work=Newport News Daily Press |access-date=6 April 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170407143907/http://www.dailypress.com/business/ports/shipping-news-blog/dp-no-urinals-on-the-fordclass-carriers-20120625-post.html |archive-date=7 April 2017 |url-status=live }}</ref> and sinks to reduce travel and traffic to access those facilities. [[WiFi]]-enabled lounges are located across the passageway in separate spaces from the berthing's racks.<ref name=CrewShip>{{cite news|last1=Bacon|first1=Lance M.|title=Crew's ship: Sailors' comfort a centerpiece of new supercarrier Ford|url=https://www.navytimes.com/story/military/tech/2014/10/13/crews-ship-sailors-comfort-a-centerpiece-of-new-supercarrier-ford/17180325/|access-date=5 June 2017|work=Navy Times|date=13 October 2014}}</ref>

Since deployment, the first two carriers of the class have run into problems with the plumbing of the waste system. The pipes were too narrow to handle the load of users, resulting in the vacuum failing and repeatedly clogged toilets.<ref name="bloomberg-toilet">{{cite news |last1=Capaccio |first1=Anthony |title=Unclogging Toilets at $400,000 a Flush Hits Navy's Costs |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-03-24/unclogging-toilets-at-400-000-a-flush-among-navy-cost-overruns |access-date=30 December 2020 |agency=Bloomberg |date=24 March 2020}}</ref> To alleviate the problem, specialized acidic cleaning solutions have been used to flush out the sewage system. These cleaning treatments cost about $400,000 each time, resulting in a substantial unplanned increase in the lifetime expense of operating these ships according to the [[GAO]]. These cleanings will have to be performed for the lifetime of the ship.<ref name="bloomberg-toilet" />

===Medical facilities===
''Gerald R. Ford'', first in the class, has an on-board hospital that includes a full laboratory, pharmacy, operating room, 3-bed intensive care unit, 2-bed emergency room, and 41-bed hospital ward, staffed by 11 medical officers and 30 hospital corpsmen.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://ussgeraldrford.wordpress.com/2016/08/08/meet-the-gerald-r-ford-senior-medical-officer/|title=Meet ''Gerald R. Ford''{{'}}s Senior Medical Officer|publisher=ussgeraldrford.wordpress.com|date=8 August 2016|access-date=5 January 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180105233655/https://ussgeraldrford.wordpress.com/2016/08/08/meet-the-gerald-r-ford-senior-medical-officer/|archive-date=5 January 2018|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Construction==
[[File:USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) in dry dock front view 2013.JPG|thumb|right|{{USS|Gerald R. Ford|CVN-78|2}} while under construction at Newport News, along with her construction crew, 2013]]

Construction of the first vessel in the class, CVN-78 ''Gerald R. Ford'', officially began on 11 August 2005, when Northrop Grumman held a ceremonial steel cut for a 15-ton plate that would form part of a side shell unit of the carrier,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://nns.huntingtoningalls.com/employees/pub/media/yardlines/YL0911.pdf|title=Ford Reaches 50 Percent Structural Completion|access-date=1 September 2011|publisher=Newport News Shipbuilding|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141028174404/http://nns.huntingtoningalls.com/employees/pub/media/yardlines/YL0911.pdf|archive-date=28 October 2014|url-status=live}}</ref> but construction began in earnest in early 2007.<ref name="hr">{{cite news|url=https://www.pilotonline.com/business/article_0f42d036-c953-5f2d-91e3-7aa01c552270.html|title=Construction Begins on the First Ford-class Carrier|author=Glass, Jon W.| work=The Virginian-Pilot|date=2007-03-25|access-date=31 October 2008|df=dmy-all}}</ref> The carrier was assembled at [[Newport News Shipbuilding]], a division of [[Huntington Ingalls Industries]] (formerly [[Northrop Grumman]] Shipbuilding) in [[Newport News, Virginia|Newport News]], Virginia. This is the only shipyard in the United States that can build nuclear-powered aircraft carriers.

In 2005, ''Gerald R. Ford'' was estimated to cost at least $13 billion: $5 billion for research and development plus $8&nbsp;billion to build.<ref name=DID05/> A 2009 report raised the estimate to $14 billion, including $9&nbsp;billion for construction.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htnavai/articles/20090412.aspx|title= The Politician Class Carriers Evolve|access-date= 18 April 2009|date= 12 April 2009|publisher= strategypage.com|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090415095651/http://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htnavai/articles/20090412.aspx|archive-date= 15 April 2009|url-status= live}}</ref> In 2013, the life-cycle cost per operating day of a carrier strike group (including aircraft) was estimated at $6.5 million by the Center for New American Security.<ref name="CostCarriers">{{cite news|author1=Capt Henry J. Hendrix, USN (PhD)|title=At What Cost a Carrier?|url=http://www.cnas.org/files/documents/publications/CNAS%20Carrier_Hendrix_FINAL.pdf|work=Disruptive Defense Papers|publisher=Center for a New American Security|date=March 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140813034340/http://www.cnas.org/files/documents/publications/CNAS%20Carrier_Hendrix_FINAL.pdf|archive-date=13 August 2014}}</ref>

Originally, a total of three carriers were authorized for construction, but if the ''Nimitz''-class carriers and {{USS|Enterprise|CVN-65|2}} were to be replaced one-for-one, 11 carriers would be required over the life of the program. The last ''Nimitz''-class aircraft carrier is to be decommissioned in 2058.

In a speech on 6 April 2009, Secretary of Defense [[Robert Gates]] announced that each ''Gerald R. Ford''-class carrier would be built over five years, yielding a "more fiscally sustainable path" and a 10-carrier fleet after 2040.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.defenselink.mil/speeches/speech.aspx?speechid=1341|title= Defense Budget Recommendation Statement (Arlington, VA)|access-date= 27 March 2010|publisher= US Department of Defense|date= 6 April 2009|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20091203013443/http://www.defenselink.mil/speeches/speech.aspx?speechid=1341|archive-date= 3 December 2009|url-status= live}}</ref> That changed in December 2016, when Navy Secretary Ray Mabus signed a Force Structure Assessment calling for a 355-ship fleet with 12 aircraft carriers.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.navy.mil/submit/display.asp?story_id=98160|title=Secretary of the Navy Announces Need for 355-ship Navy|first=This story was written by The Office of the Secretary of the|last=Navy|access-date=6 April 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180407053552/http://www.navy.mil/submit/display.asp?story_id=98160|archive-date=7 April 2018|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://news.usni.org/2016/12/16/navy-wants-grow-fleet-355-ships-47-hull-increase-previous-goal|title=Navy Wants 355 Ships; New Assessment Adds Destroyers, Attack Subs|date=16 December 2016|access-date=6 April 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180407182639/https://news.usni.org/2016/12/16/navy-wants-grow-fleet-355-ships-47-hull-increase-previous-goal|archive-date=7 April 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> If enacted, this policy would require each ''Gerald R. Ford''-class carrier to be built in three to four years.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://news.usni.org/2018/04/04/report-congress-gerald-r-ford-class-carrier-program|title=Report to Congress on Gerald R. Ford Class Carrier Program - USNI News|date=4 April 2018|access-date=6 April 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180407054255/https://news.usni.org/2018/04/04/report-congress-gerald-r-ford-class-carrier-program|archive-date=7 April 2018|url-status=live}}</ref>

[[File:Susan Ford with propeller of USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) 2013.JPG|thumb|[[Susan Ford Bales]], ''Gerald R. Ford''{{'}}s ceremonial sponsor, examines a propeller in Dry Dock No. 12 at Newport News Shipbuilding.]]

===First-of-class type design changes===
As construction of CVN-78 progressed, the shipbuilder made first-of-class type design changes, which it will use to update the model before the construction of the remaining vessels of its class. Several of these design changes related to EMALS configuration changes, which required electrical, wiring, and other changes within the ship. The Navy anticipates additional design changes stemming from remaining advanced arresting gear development and testing. According to the Navy, many of these 19,000 changes were programmed into the construction schedule early on—a result of the government's decision, at contract award, to introduce improvements to the ship's warfare systems during construction, which are heavily dependent on evolving commercial technologies.<ref name="gao.gov"/>

==Naming==
There was a movement by the {{USS|America|CV-66|6}} Carrier Veterans' Association to have CVN-78 named after ''America'' rather than after [[Gerald Ford|President Ford]].<ref name="NameControversey">{{cite web|last1=LaGrone|first1=Sam|title=Twenty Six US Navy Ship Naming Controversies|url=https://news.usni.org/2013/04/23/twenty-six-us-navy-ship-naming-controversies|website=USNI News|publisher=U.S. Naval Institute|access-date=12 August 2017|format=USS Gerald R. Ford|date=23 April 2013|quote=The vets argued that Ford was not much more than an adequate president, so it was more fitting for the carrier-class to be known as America...|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170813012236/https://news.usni.org/2013/04/23/twenty-six-us-navy-ship-naming-controversies|archive-date=13 August 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> Eventually, the [[amphibious assault ship]] LHA-6 was named {{USS|America|LHA-6|2}}.

On 27 May 2011, the [[United States Department of Defense|U.S. Department of Defense]] announced the name of CVN-79 would be {{USS|John F. Kennedy|CVN-79|6}}.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.defense.gov//releases/release.aspx?releaseid=14523 |title=Navy Names Next Aircraft Carrier USS John F. Kennedy |access-date=29 May 2011 |work=U.S. Department of Defense|format=News Release|url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130820182239/http://www.defense.gov//releases/release.aspx?releaseid=16035 |archive-date=20 August 2013 |df=dmy }}</ref>

On 1 December 2012, [[United States Secretary of the Navy|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|3}}. The future {{USS|Enterprise|CVN-80|3}} will be the ninth U.S. Navy ship to bear this name.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://brahmand.com/news/US-Navys-Ford-class-aircraft-carrier-to-be-named-Enterprise/10464/1/17.html |title=US Navy's Ford-class aircraft carrier to be named Enterprise |publisher=Brahmand.com |format=Defence & Aerospace News |date=4 December 2012 |access-date=4 December 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121207081701/http://brahmand.com/news/US-Navys-Ford-class-aircraft-carrier-to-be-named-Enterprise/10464/1/17.html |archive-date=7 December 2012 }}</ref>

On 20 January 2020, during a ceremony in [[Pearl Harbor, Hawaii]], on [[Martin Luther King Jr. Day]], [[Thomas Modly|Acting Secretary of the Navy Thomas B. Modly]] named a future ''Gerald R. Ford''-class aircraft carrier in honor of World War II hero [[Doris Miller]]. This will be the first aircraft carrier named for an African American, and the first aircraft carrier to be named for a sailor in the enlisted ranks. It is the second ship named in honor of Miller, who was the first African American to be awarded the [[Navy Cross]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Diaz |first=Johnny |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/18/us/doris-miller-aircraft-carrier.html |title=Navy Aircraft Carrier to Be Named for Black Pearl Harbor Veteran |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=2020-01-18 |access-date=2020-01-19 }}</ref><ref>{{cite press release |url=https://www.navy.mil/submit/display.asp?story_id=111881 |title=Navy Will Name A Future Ford Class Aircraft Carrier After WWII Hero Doris Miller |author=Acting Secretary of the Navy Public Affairs |publisher=[[United States Navy]] |date=2020-01-19 }}</ref><ref name=LaGrone />

==Ships in class==
There are expected to be ten ships of this class.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.defensedaily.com/cvn-77-delivery-moved-to-december-newport-news-on-track-for-january-commissioning/ |work=Defense Daily |title=CVN-77 Delivery Moved To December, Newport News on Track For January Commissioning |date=4 August 2008 |access-date=12 August 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170813010741/http://www.defensedaily.com/cvn-77-delivery-moved-to-december-newport-news-on-track-for-january-commissioning/ |archive-date=13 August 2017 |url-status=live }}</ref> To date, five have been announced:

{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align: center;"
|-
! scope="col" | Ship
! scope="col" | {{abbr|Hull no.|Hull number}}
! scope="col" | Laid down
! scope="col" | Launched
! scope="col" | Commissioned
! scope="col" | Status
! scope="col" | Scheduled to replace
! scope="col" | References
|-
! scope="row" | {{USS|Gerald R. Ford|CVN-78|2}}
! scope="row" style="white-space: nowrap;" | CVN-78
| 13 November 2009
| 11 October 2013
| 22 July 2017
| Active, in service
| {{USS|Enterprise|CVN-65|3}}
|<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.businessinsider.com/us-navy-delivery-uss-gerald-ford-2017-6|title=The US Navy just took delivery of the world's most advanced aircraft carrier|work=Business Insider|access-date=2017-06-01|language=en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170601181353/http://www.businessinsider.com/us-navy-delivery-uss-gerald-ford-2017-6|archive-date=1 June 2017|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.defencetalk.com/aircraft-carrier-gerald-r-ford-cvn-78-christened-at-newport-news-shipbuilding-49604/ |title=Aircraft Carrier Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) Christened at Newport News Shipbuilding |date=12 November 2013 |work=Defence Talk |access-date=2 December 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131203001607/http://www.defencetalk.com/aircraft-carrier-gerald-r-ford-cvn-78-christened-at-newport-news-shipbuilding-49604/ |archive-date=3 December 2013 |url-status=live }}</ref>
|-
! scope="row" | {{USS|John F. Kennedy|CVN-79|2}}
! scope="row" | CVN-79
| 22 August 2015
| 29 October 2019
| 2025 (scheduled)
| Fitting out
| {{USS|Nimitz|CVN-68|3}}
|<ref name="fas"/><ref>{{Cite web|last=Ress|first=Dave|title=To speed up delivery of USS John F. Kennedy, Navy to pay up to $315 million extra|url=https://www.dailypress.com/business/shipyards/dp-nw-newport-news-shipyard-jfk-20201103-djclddlpgng73naud2xlfyjzb4-story.html|access-date=2021-01-16|website=dailypress.com|date=3 November 2020 }}</ref>
|-
! scope="row" | {{USS|Enterprise|CVN-80|2}}
! scope="row" | CVN-80
| 5 April 2022<ref name= "keel1">{{Cite web |last=LaGrone |first=Sam |date=5 April 2022 |title=HII Lays Keel of Future Aircraft Carrier USS Enterprise |url=https://news.usni.org/2022/04/05/hii-lays-keel-of-future-aircraft-carrier-uss-enterprise |website=usni.org|publisher=U.S. Naval Institute}}</ref>
| November 2025 (scheduled)<ref name="Two_Ship_Buy">{{cite web |url=https://www.navsea.navy.mil/Portals/103/Documents/Exhibits/SAS2019/Capt%20Malone-SAS-05062019.pdf?ver=2019-05-06-200404-223 |title= Sea Air Space Exposition: John F. Kennedy (CVN 79) Enterprise (CVN 80) & Unnamed (CVN 81) – Two Ship Buy |website= Naval Sea Systems Command | author1= Malone, Capt. Phillip |date=2019-05-06 |format=PDF | df=mdy-all }}</ref>
| 2029 (scheduled)<ref>{{Cite web |last=Shelbourne |first=Mallory |date=15 March 2024 |title=Aircraft Carrier Enterprise Delivery Delayed by 18 Months, Says Navy |url=https://news.usni.org/2024/03/15/aircraft-carrier-enterprise-delivery-delayed-by-18-months-says-navy |website=usni.org|publisher=U.S. Naval Institute}}</ref>
| Under construction
| {{USS|Dwight D. Eisenhower|CVN-69|3}}
|<ref name="fas"/><ref>{{cite press release |title=First cut of steel kicks off construction of the aircraft carrier Enterprise at Newport News Shipbuilding |publisher=WTKR |date=21 August 2017 |url=http://wtkr.com/2017/08/21/first-cut-of-steel-to-kick-off-construction-of-the-aircraft-carrier-enterprise-at-newport-news-shipbuilding/ |access-date=6 September 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170915185432/http://wtkr.com/2017/08/21/first-cut-of-steel-to-kick-off-construction-of-the-aircraft-carrier-enterprise-at-newport-news-shipbuilding/ |archive-date=15 September 2017 |url-status=live }}</ref>
|-
! scope="row" | {{USS|Doris Miller|CVN-81|2}}
! scope="row" | CVN-81
| January 2026 (scheduled)<ref name="Two_Ship_Buy"/>
| October 2029 (scheduled)<ref name="Two_Ship_Buy"/>
| 2032 (scheduled)
| Under construction
| {{USS|Carl Vinson|CVN-70|3}}
|<ref name="fas"/><ref name=LaGrone>{{cite web |url=https://news.usni.org/2020/01/18/next-ford-class-carrier-to-be-named-after-pearl-harbor-hero-doris-miller |title=Next Ford-class Carrier to be Named After Pearl Harbor Hero Doris Miller |last=LaGrone |first=Sam |work=USNI News |date=18 January 2020 |access-date=18 January 2020}}</ref>
|-
! scope="row" | TBD
! scope="row" | CVN-82
| 2027 (scheduled)
| 2032 (scheduled)
| 2036 (scheduled)
| Planned
| {{USS|Theodore Roosevelt|CVN-71|3}}
|<ref name="fas"/>
|}

==See also==
{{Portal|United States}}
{{Div col|colwidth=30em}}
* [[Modern United States Navy carrier air operations]]
* [[List of aircraft carriers]]
* [[List of naval ship classes in service]]
* [[List of current United States Navy ships]]
* [[List of aircraft carrier classes of the United States Navy]]
* [[A1B reactor]]
* [[Naval aviation]]
* [[Type 003 aircraft carrier]] (China)
* {{sclass|Queen Elizabeth|aircraft carrier|1}} (United Kingdom)
* [[Future French aircraft carrier|PANG]] (France)
{{div col end}}

==Notes==
{{reflist|group=N}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Gerald R. Ford class aircraft carriers}}
* [https://www.navy.mil/Resources/Fact-Files/Display-FactFiles/Article/2169795/aircraft-carriers-cvn/ Aircraft Carriers – CVN] – US Navy Fact File
* [http://www.thefordclass.com/build/index.html Building The Ford Class Aircraft Carriers] - [[Newport News Shipbuilding]]
* [http://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/design-preparations-continue-for-the-usas-new-cvn21-supercarrier-01494/ Design & Preparations Continue for the USA's New CVN-21 Super-Carrier (updated)], Defense Industry Daily. Provides an extensive briefing re: the new ship class, and adds entries for many of the contracts under this program.
* [http://www.navyrecognition.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=809 Gerald R. Ford Class (CVN-78) Aircraft Carrier on Navy Recognition site] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160323223513/http://www.navyrecognition.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=809 |date=23 March 2016 }}
* GAO Reports: [http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-16-84T Poor Outcomes Are the Predictable Consequences of the Prevalent Acquisition Culture (October 2015)], [https://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-17-575 Follow-On Ships Need More Frequent and Accurate Cost Estimates to Avoid Pitfalls of Lead Ship (June 2017)]
{{Gerald R. Ford class aircraft carrier}}
{{Active ship classes of the United States Navy}}
{{Aircraft carrier classes in service}}

[[Category:Aircraft carrier classes]]
[[Category:Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carriers| ]]