America's Newest Aircraft Carrier: The USS Gerald Ford, CVN 78 was delivered to the Navy on May 31, 2017. There will be 2 more ships built, the USS Kennedy which had its keel laying...

Vince68 Loc: Wappingers Falls, NY

The USS Gerald Ford, CVN 78 was delivered to the Navy on May 31, 2017. There will be 2 more ships built, the USS Kennedy which had its keel laying ceremony on August 22, 2015, and the USS Enterprise, which is scheduled for start of construction next year. http://www.thefordclass.com/

Dan Downie Loc: Rochester, NY

That's an amazing shot of its hull. Impressive! Thanks for sharing!

Leicaflex Loc: Cymru

Vince68 wrote:

The USS Gerald Ford, CVN 78 was delivered to the Navy on May 31, 2017. There will be 2 more ships built, the USS Kennedy which had its keel laying ceremony on August 22, 2015, and the USS Enterprise, which is scheduled for start of construction next year. http://www.thefordclass.com/

nicksr1125 Loc: Mesa, AZ

This is really making me feel old. I was assigned to VP-30 at Pax River, MD from Nov. 1967 to Jan. 1970 and worked out of the base photo lab when the original Kennedy (CVN-67) underwent her sea trials. We were out for 2 weeks sailing up & down the east coast. Now CVN-67 is retired & a new hull is in the works

mas24 Loc: Southern CA

Interesting. This should be a very effective Aircraft Carrier. This should increase the Carrier fleet to somewhere around 12 total. The UK has the HMS "Queen Elizabeth" Aircraft Carrier. A new, large, modern one. China has only one new one, a refurbished bought from Russia, that is now active in the Pacific arena. China is in the works of a 2nd Carrier. None can compare with American Carriers. Ours are the very best made.

nimbushopper Loc: Tampa, FL

nicksr1125 wrote:

This is really making me feel old. I was assigned to VP-30 at Pax River, MD from Nov. 1967 to Jan. 1970 and worked out of the base photo lab when the original Kennedy (CVN-67) underwent her sea trials. We were out for 2 weeks sailing up & down the east coast. Now CVN-67 is retired & a new hull is in the works

Small world, I went through the RAG at VP-30 in '69 to become a P-3 pilot!

CaptainBobBrown

This should be the last class of aircraft carriers we build because like most (all?) other weapon systems it has become obsolete as the difficulty and cost of protecting it from smaller cheaper weapons has grown exponentially. Consider not just the cost of the carrier but all it's attendant vessels including the submarine escorts required to try to protect it from subsurface attack. Silkworms, Exocets, and their equivalents are compelling huge changes in tactics and strategy. Smaller, much more maneuverable, littoral capable missile cruisers with strong anti-missile defenses will be our strongest method of projecting force, not floating, slow moving islands. Ford class carriers are the remnant of ancient systems exactly analogous to armor which grew to be so big and heavy that knights had to be craned onto their percherons because of the advent of the crossbow which a foot soldier could use to bring down a knight with even the heaviest armor.

bwana Loc: Bergen, Alberta, Canada

Vince68 wrote:

The USS Gerald Ford, CVN 78 was delivered to the Navy on May 31, 2017. There will be 2 more ships built, the USS Kennedy which had its keel laying ceremony on August 22, 2015, and the USS Enterprise, which is scheduled for start of construction next year. http://www.thefordclass.com/

I'm sure great big ships makes the country proud BUT you might wish to paint a big red target sign on them because they'll be the first thing blown out of the water in any future naval battles! Missiles: 1, Carriers: 0!!

bwa

14kphotog Loc: Marietta, Ohio

bwana wrote:

I'm sure great big ships makes the country proud BUT you might wish to paint a big red target sign on them because they'll be the first thing blown out of the water in any future naval battles! Missiles: 1, Carriers: 0!!

bwa

We are always working on Anti Missile Missiles and have come up with some good systems, and early detection systems.

bwana Loc: Bergen, Alberta, Canada

14kphotog wrote:

We are always working on Anti Missile Missiles and have come up with some good systems, and early detection systems.

And the opposition is working on Anti Missile Missile Missiles...

nicksr1125 Loc: Mesa, AZ

nimbushopper wrote:

Small world, I went through the RAG at VP-30 in '69 to become a P-3 pilot!

CDR. Mike Borthwick was the skipper at the time.

Popeye Loc: LifIno

USS Gerald R. Ford doesn't have any urinals

It finally happened. Guess men sailors have to sit down now.

https://www.navytimes.com/articles/why-the-navys-newest-aircraft-carrier-has-no-urinals?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=NT%207/21/17&utm_term=Editorial%20-%20Navy%20-%20Daily%20News%20Roundup