The Fords
A short discussion of the present and future of the CVN-78 (Ford class aircraft carrier) project:
CVN-78 and her sisters are the world’s largest aircraft carriers. At 1100’ long, the Fords displace about 100,000 tons, can carry some 90 aircraft, and can travel more than 30 knots. They are expected to become the centerpiece of American naval power, the latest ships to anchor the Carrier Battle Groups that have constituted the capital ship strength of the U.S. Navy since World War II. The CVN-78 class carriers are the most recent evolution of a design that began with the Forrestal class aircraft carriers of the early 1950s. From the Forrestals to the Kitty Hawks to the Enterprise and finally to the Nimitz class, American supercarriers have grown steadily in size and sophistication.
Technological development has continued within particular ship classes, with the extremely successful Nimitz class effectively representing three distinct batches, including three, five, and two ships. The Fords represent an evolution of the Ronald Reagans, the final Nimitz subclass. The Ford-Class is slightly larger, has a more powerful power plant, and enjoys increased automation (with consequently smaller crews), advanced sensors, and a modified island superstructure.
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