The world’s largest aircraft carrier, USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78), has continued flight operations in the Mediterranean Sea as part of its ongoing deployment with Carrier Strike Group 12, the U.S. Navy confirmed.
Photographs released by the Defense Visual Information Distribution Service (DVIDS) show Lt. Nicholas Venzke and Lt. Matthew Norwitz, both assigned to the carrier’s Air Department, signaling the launch of an E/A-18G Growler from Electronic Attack Squadron 142 (VAQ-142) during flight operations.
The launch took place as the Ford conducted routine flight training and operational patrols across the U.S. Sixth Fleet area of operations.
The Navy said the deployment aims to “support the warfighting effectiveness, lethality and readiness of U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa, and defend U.S., Allied and partner interests in the region.”
Commissioned in 2017, the Gerald R. Ford is the lead ship of its class and represents the most advanced carrier in service. At more than 1,090 feet long and displacing around 100,000 tons, it remains the largest warship ever built. The carrier introduces new technologies including the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS) and Advanced Arresting Gear (AAG), replacing steam catapults and traditional arresting wires to increase sortie rates and improve efficiency.
Built by Newport News Shipbuilding, Ford-class carriers will replace the Nimitz-class as the U.S. Navy’s next-generation nuclear-powered carriers. Powered by two Bechtel A1B reactors, they have an unlimited range and a 50-year service life.
Each carrier supports more than 75 aircraft, including F/A-18E/F Super Hornets, E/A-18G Growlers, and E-2D Hawkeyes, and carries layered air defenses such as RIM-162 Evolved SeaSparrow Missiles, RIM-116 Rolling Airframe Missiles, and Phalanx CIWS. Ten Ford-class carriers are planned, with three under construction and USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) fully operational as the flagship of the U.S. Navy’s global carrier fleet.
Well this is fantastic news, congratulations on finally launching aircraft.
this is slightly outdated news, because USS Ford is headed to Venezuela/Caribbean
according to Automatic Identification System (AIS) it passed Gibraltar and in the Atlantic – this info is about an hour old.
MMSI : 883303000
I read elsewhere that Trump is so unhappy with USS Ford’s EMALS that he’s threatened to enforce a steam catapult only policy for all new US carriers by Executive Order. Unfortunately for him, carriers take so long to build that it’s unlikely to have an effect even if he does.
Also Jon, I’m not sure if there are any US manufacturers that still produce steam catapults anyway. So that quote by him was likely a toothless threat to hurry General Atomics (the EMALS manufacturer) up, or just another off the cuff quote with zero technical fact to back it up.