Ready for the 21st Century
USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) is the first new design for an aircraft carrier since USS Nimitz (CVN 68). The shipbuilders found value in every square inch of the ship, saving the Navy a projected $4 billion in ownership costs over the ship’s 50-year lifespan. The ship is equipped with two newly-designed reactors and has 250 percent more electrical capacity than previous carriers. The improvements will allow the ship to load weapons and launch aircraft faster than ever before.
Building a Giant
Building an aircraft carrier takes generations of experience, hundreds of thousands of man hours, years of planning and steady determination. USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) is the product of years of construction, and before that, years of planning and design. Five thousand shipbuilders in Newport News and thousands of suppliers across the United States contributed to this first-in-class ship.
Namesake
About Gerald R. Ford
Gerald R. Ford was the 38th President of the United States. During World War II, he served in the Navy on an aircraft carrier.
Ship's Sponsor
The Ship's Sponsor of CVN 78 is President Ford's daughter Susan Ford Bales. Learn more
Delivered to the U.S. Navy
The first ship in the Ford-class has been delivered to the Navy.
Read the news release
3-D Product Model
USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) is the Navy’s first aircraft carrier to be completely designed using a 3-dimensional product model. Newport News Shipbuilding utilized the latest and most advanced computer tool capabilities and functionalities for visual integration in design, engineering, planning and construction.
Every piece part is created in a 3-D model at full scale which includes structure, various equipment, piping systems, machinery, electrical, wireways, gauges, pumps, berths, medical and galleys. At any given day hundreds of designers, engineers, planners and construction representatives were in the model designing, creating and planning every feature of the ship.
Photo: Tosha Revere,demonstrates 3-D Immersive Visualization techniques using a Rapid Operational Virtual Reality (ROVR) system.
Photo by John Whalen
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