Ford: The Navy’s Biggest And Most Expensive Aircraft Carrier Had Finally Set Sail
ByPeter SuciuPublished3 mins ago
After a short delay, the U.S. Navy’s newest, most advanced, and most expensive aircraft carrier finally began her maiden deployment on Tuesday from Norfolk, Virginia. Though it won’t be a world-spanning whirlwind cruise, it is still an important milestone for the USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78), the first new U.S. carrier design in more than 40 years.
The carrier’s construction began in November 2009, and she was commissioned in 2017 by former President Donald Trump. As the lead ship of a new class of supercarrier, CVN-78 faced numerous delays as the bugs were worked out of various systems. The Navy’s hope is that construction and shakedown of the next two Ford-class carriers, the future USS John F. Kennedy and USS Enterprise, go a bit more smoothly.
Finally at Sea
This is not the first time that USS Gerald R. Ford has headed to sea, as she underwent numerous sea trials and tests since being commissioned in late July 2017. But Tuesday marked her first official deployment. She is the lead vessel in a carrier strike group that includes six ships from NATO allies, along with multiple U.S. warships and a submarine.
https://www.19fortyfive.com/2022/10/uss-gerald-r-ford-better-late-than-never/
