USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78)
The USS Gerald R. Ford is still in the works, expected to leave on its first deployment around 2022. This ship joined the U.S. Navy fleet in 2017, making a mark as the world’s largest aircraft carrier. The Gerald R. Ford has state-of-the-art radar technology, with AN/SPY-3 and AN/SPY-4.
The Gerald R. Ford features an Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System that can launch 25% more aircraft per day than the Nimitz class, and it also requires 24% fewer crew members. That alone saved the Navy $4 billion in operating costs over 50 years. This ship is full of surface-to-air missiles, RIM-162 ESSM launchers, and M2.50 Cal. (12.7 mm) machine guns.