Named after the 38th President of the US- Gerald Ford
Construction started in 2009 and completed by September 2015 at a cost of $ 10.5 billion.
Weighs 1 lakh tonnes
Is 1,106-feet long equivalent to size of about three football fields.
Has two nuclear reactors that can operate for up to 20 years without refueling.
Has electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS) , replacing the steam system on earlier carriers
New electric motor-based Advanced Arresting Gear (AAG) system for faster and more efficient aircraft take-offs and landings.
Outfitted with touchscreen navigation display in place of a traditional throttle.
Has capacity for 2,600 sailors-600 less due to its more automated equipment.
Features advanced reactor plant, propulsion system, electric plant, machinery control, Dual Band Radar and integrated warfare systems.
20 new or modified systems compared to Nimitz class vessels.
Ford-Class Aircraft Carriers
Compared to earlier Nimitz class aircraft carriers, Ford class carries have state-of-the-art technology and can carry more aircraft and weapons.
Ford-class carries new advanced US aircraft carrier design developed in 40 years, succeeding earlier Nimitz-class class.
The second ship in the series USS John F. Kennedy (CVN 79) is under construction and work on the third carrier USS Enterprise (CVN 80) has begun.
Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) is the first new design for an aircraft carrier since USS Nimitz (CVN 68) . The shipbuilders saved the Navy a projected $ 4 billion in ownership costs over the ship՚s 50-year lifespan