USS Gerald R. Ford
USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) after departing Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia – May 2, 2023 | |
| History | |
|---|---|
| United States | |
| Name | Gerald R. Ford |
| Namesake | Gerald R. Ford |
| Awarded | 10 September 2008 |
| Builder | Newport News Shipbuilding |
| Cost | $12.8 billion + $4.7 billion R&D (estimated) |
| Laid down | 13 November 2009 |
| Launched | 11 October 2013 |
| Sponsored by | Susan Ford |
| Christened | 9 November 2013 |
| Acquired | 31 May 2017 |
| Commissioned | 22 July 2017 |
| Homeport | Norfolk, Virginia |
| Motto | Integrity at the helm |
| Status | in active service |
| Badge | |
| General characteristics | |
| Class & type | Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carrier |
| Displacement | About 100,000 long tons (100,000 tonnes) (full load) |
| Length | 1,106 ft (337 m) |
| Beam |
|
| Height | 250 ft (76 m) |
| Draft | 39 ft (12 m) |
| Decks | 25 |
| Installed power | Two Bechtel A1B PWR nuclear reactors, HEU 93.5% |
| Propulsion | Four shafts |
| Speed | In excess of 30 knots (56 km/h; 35 mph) |
| Range | ≈25 years before mid-life refuel |
| Complement | 4539 (including air wing) |
| Sensors & processing systems |
|
| Armament |
|
| Aircraft carried | 75+ |
| Aviation facilities | 1,092 ft × 256 ft (333 m × 78 m) flight deck |
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USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) is an aircraft carrier of the United States Navy and the lead ship of her class. The ship is named after the 38th president of the United States, Gerald Ford, whose World War II naval service included combat duty aboard the light aircraft carrier Monterey in the Pacific Theater.
Construction began on 11 August 2005, when Northrop Grumman held a ceremonial steel cut for a 15-ton plate that forms part of a side shell unit of the carrier. The keel of Gerald R. Ford was laid down on 13 November 2009. She was christened on 9 November 2013. Gerald R. Ford entered the fleet replacing the decommissioned USS Enterprise (CVN-65), which ended her 51 years of active service in December 2012. Originally scheduled for delivery in 2015, Gerald R. Ford was delivered to the Navy on 31 May 2017 and formally commissioned by President Donald Trump on 22 July 2017. She departed Naval Station Norfolk on her first deployment on 2 May 2023. As of February 2025, she is the world's largest aircraft carrier and the largest warship ever constructed.