It is massive. That’s usually the first thing people say when they see the USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) cutting through the Atlantic. But calling it just "a big ship" is like calling a supercomputer a calculator. It’s a 100,000-ton floating city that cost about $13 billion to build, and honestly, it’s been a bit of a lightning rod for criticism since the keel was laid back in 2009.
You’ve probably heard the headlines. People love to talk about the "toilet problems" or the "elevators that didn't work." And yeah, the growing pains were real. Very real. But if you look past the snarky op-eds, you’ll find the most advanced piece of naval technology ever floated. It isn't just an upgrade; it’s a complete rethink of how power is projected at sea.
The Electromagnetic Leap
The biggest change is something you can't even see from the pier. It’s the juice. The USS Gerald R. Ford replaced the old steam catapults—technology we’ve used since the 1950s—with EMALS. That stands for Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System.
Think of it like a railgun for planes.
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Steam is messy. It’s violent. It wears down airframes because you’re basically hitting the plane with a giant hammer to get it moving. EMALS is different. It uses a linear induction motor to accelerate the aircraft smoothly. Because it's software-controlled, the sailors can dial in the exact weight of the plane. Want to launch a heavy F/A-18 Super Hornet? No problem. Need to launch a tiny, lightweight drone? You can do that too without snapping the wings off.
But here is the kicker: the ship generates three times the electrical power of the Nimitz-class carriers. We are talking about two A1B nuclear reactors that could probably power a mid-sized city. This isn't just for the catapults. It’s for the future. When the Navy eventually puts high-energy lasers or railguns on ships to intercept missiles, the Ford is the only carrier with enough "headroom" in its power grid to actually run them.
What about those elevators?
You can’t talk about the Ford without mentioning the Advanced Weapons Elevators (AWE). These things use permanent magnet motors rather than cables and pulleys. It’s basically Maglev technology, but vertical. Early on, they were a nightmare. They didn't line up, the software crashed, and it became a massive political headache for Huntington Ingalls Industries and the Navy.
Why go through the trouble? Speed.
On a Nimitz-class ship, moving bombs from the magazines to the flight deck is a slow, manual process involving a lot of "horizontal movement"—basically pushing carts through hallways. On the USS Gerald R. Ford, the elevators go straight to the "bomb farm" on the flight deck. This reduces the number of people needed and, more importantly, it slashes the time it takes to re-arm a jet. In a real war, the ship that launches the most "sorties" (flights) wins. The Ford is designed to increase that rate by about 33% compared to older carriers.
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A Different Kind of Flight Deck
If you look at a photo of the Ford next to an older carrier, you’ll notice the "island"—the tower where the captain sits—is smaller and further back. This wasn't an aesthetic choice. Moving the island aft creates more space for a "pit stop" refueling and re-arming area.
It’s like a NASCAR pit road.
On older ships, moving planes around the deck is a giant game of Tetris. You’re constantly moving one plane to get to another. On the Ford, the layout is streamlined. Planes land, taxi to a spot, get fuel and ammo, and head right back to the catapult. It’s about efficiency. It’s about being a factory that produces combat power.
Living on a 100,000-ton Warship
Life for the sailors is... well, it’s still the Navy, but it’s better. Gone are the days of 100-man berthing areas where you’re stacked like cordwood. The Ford has smaller berthing areas, which means less noise when you’re trying to sleep after a 12-hour shift.
They also fixed the air conditioning. That sounds like a luxury, but in the Persian Gulf during August, it’s a safety requirement.
And then there's the "gender-neutral" bathroom situation that caused such a stir in the media. Basically, the Navy moved away from giant communal urinals toward individual stalls. This makes it easier to reconfigure the ship for different crews without having to do major plumbing overhauls. It’s practical, though it certainly gave pundits plenty to talk about.
Why Does It Cost So Much?
Thirteen billion dollars. It’s a staggering number. But you have to remember that the USS Gerald R. Ford is the "lead ship" of its class. The first one always costs the most because you’re paying for the research, the new tools, and the inevitable mistakes that happen when you build something this complex for the first time.
The Navy argues that over the 50-year life of the ship, they will actually save $4 billion in operating costs. How? By having fewer people. The Ford is highly automated. It requires about 600 fewer sailors than a Nimitz-class carrier. When you factor in 50 years of salaries, benefits, and housing, that’s where the savings come from.
Of course, that assumes the automation keeps working.
The Strategic Reality
We live in an era of "carrier killers." China has the DF-21D and DF-26 missiles designed specifically to sink these ships. Critics say the carrier is a dinosaur. A very expensive, very big target.
But the Navy's counter-argument is simple: a carrier is only a target if you can find it. The sea is a big place. The USS Gerald R. Ford can move at over 30 knots. By the time a satellite spots it and a missile is launched, the ship could be miles away from its last known position. Plus, the Ford travels with a "Carrier Strike Group"—destroyers, cruisers, and submarines—all packed with Aegis missile defense systems.
The real value isn't just in a fight, though. It’s in "presence." When a Ford-class carrier shows up off a coast, everyone notices. It’s 4.5 acres of sovereign U.S. territory that can move 700 miles in a day. That is a diplomatic tool that no other weapon system can match.
Actual Performance in the Wild
In 2023 and 2024, the Ford finally got to prove itself during its first full deployment. It spent months in the Eastern Mediterranean after the conflict broke out in Israel and Gaza. It stayed at sea for over 250 days.
The report card? Pretty good.
The EMALS catapults, which everyone was worried about, performed with high reliability. The dual-band radar worked. The crew managed to sustain a high tempo of operations. It turns out that once you get through the "teething stages," the tech actually does what it’s supposed to do.
Navigating the Future of Naval Power
If you're following the trajectory of naval warfare, don't just look at the hull of the USS Gerald R. Ford. Look at what’s going on the deck. We are seeing the integration of the F-35C Lightning II, which is a stealth fighter that acts as a sensor node for the entire fleet. We are seeing the MQ-25 Stingray, an unmanned tanker that will allow the carrier’s jets to fly much further away from the ship, keeping the carrier out of range of those "carrier killer" missiles.
The Ford is a platform for the next 50 years. It’s built with an "open architecture" so that when new tech comes out in 2040, they can just swap out the software and hardware without having to cut the ship open with torches.
Actionable Insights for Following the Ford Class
If you want to keep tabs on whether this $13 billion investment is actually paying off, here is what you should watch for:
- Follow the Sortie Generation Rate (SGR): This is the key metric. If the Ford can consistently launch more planes per hour than a Nimitz, the design is a success. Look for official Navy reports on "Sustained Sortie Generation."
- Watch the CVN 79 (John F. Kennedy): The second ship in the class is currently being outfitted. If it avoids the delays and cost overruns of the Ford, it proves that the Navy has learned its lesson and the "production line" is working.
- Monitor the MQ-25 Integration: The first time a drone refuels a manned jet on a Ford-class deck will be a massive turning point for naval aviation. It fundamentally changes the math of carrier vulnerability.
- Ignore the "Toilet News": Most of the "scandals" you see in mainstream media are minor engineering hurdles common to any first-in-class ship. Focus on the core systems: EMALS, AAR (Advanced Arresting Gear), and the A1B reactors. Those are the heart of the ship.
The USS Gerald R. Ford represents a massive bet on the future of American power. It’s a bet that says the aircraft carrier isn't a relic, but a evolving beast that can adapt to a world of drones, lasers, and hypersonic threats. Whether that bet pays off will define the next century of maritime history.