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U.S. Navy to test next-generation supercarrier

President Donald Trump is scheduled to preside over the commissioning on July 22 of the Navy’s newest aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford. The $12.9 billion vessel is the first in a new generation of aircraft carriers, featuring a host of changes over the current Nimitz-class fleet

F-35C Lightning II carrier variant

Island: Aft location gives more room for aircraft. Structure kept smaller by replacing
multiple antennas with single radar housed in flat panels

Flight deck: Three aircraft elevators instead of four. Improved space utilisation and movement of fuel and weapons boosts aircraft mission rate by up to 25 percent

Catapults: Electromagnetic launch replaces steam power

Aircraft: Up to 90, including: 
F-35C and F/A-18 fighters
AWACS surveillance planes 
EA-18 electronic attack jets 
SH-60 helicopters 
Unmanned aircraft (future)

Propulsion: Two nuclear reactors generate 600MW of electricity – triple that of Nimitz-class carrier

Technology: Greater automation enables less crew and lower costs. Maintenance reduced by 30 percent

Armament: Integrated system controls ship sensors, anti-air weapons (missiles and guns) and countermeasures

Specifications 			Nimitz-class 		USS Gerald R. Ford
Commissioning date 		1975 (USS Nimitz)	2017 (planned)
Displacement (fully loaded)	88,000 tonnes		100,000 tonnes
Aircraft			60+			75+	
Crew (including air wing)	5,200			4,539
Cost (2016)			$8.9 billion*		$12.9 billion
	
Length: 333m
Nimitz Flight deck: 18,200 sq m
Gerald R. Ford 18,943 sq m

*Inflation adjusted 

Sources: U.S. Navy, Navy League Hampton Roads, U.S. Government Accountability Office 

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