Larger aircraft carriers of the Gerald R. Ford class are one of the Navy’s top acquisition projects because their role is central to America’s naval operations.
These 1,092-foot-long, 134-foot-wide, 100,000-ton vessels are designed to reach speeds upward of 30 mph and are critical to mounting the nation’s fight against adversaries—especially in the Indo-Pacific—and maintaining freedom of the seas.
Ford-class carriers can accommodate over 4,660 sailors and an aviation unit of over 75 aircraft. They carry the latest naval technologies, which promise advances in propulsion, power generation, and aircraft launches. And they’re designed to require less maintenance, saving an estimated $4 billion per ship in support costs compared to the preceding Nimitz-class vessels.
In March, the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations released a report to Congress outlining…
