Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carriers

History

The Gerald R. Ford class is a class of nuclear-powered aircraft carriers developed for the United States Navy as the successor to the Nimitz class. The design retains the basic mission of a large carrier while introducing a new propulsion plant, substantially greater electrical generating capacity, redesigned aircraft and weapons handling arrangements, and reduced crew requirements.

The lead ship, USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78), was launched in November 2013 and commissioned in July 2017. The class was developed under the CVN-21 program and is intended to replace Nimitz-class carriers progressively over several decades.

A defining feature of the original Ford-class design is its use of the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System, or EMALS, together with Advanced Arresting Gear. In August 2026, however, a report stated that President Donald Trump had directed the Navy to return to steam-powered aircraft launch catapults on future Ford-class carriers beginning with USS Doris Miller (CVN-81). The reported order concerns future ships and does not represent a completed redesign of CVN-81 in the available material.

Development

The Nimitz-class design originated in the 1960s and remained adaptable for decades, but later additions placed increasing demands on electrical generation, weight margins and internal arrangements. The Navy therefore developed the CVN-21 program to provide more electrical power, reduce manpower requirements and create greater margins for future systems. The resulting carrier became the Gerald R. Ford class.

Major changes included a smaller island positioned farther aft, revised aircraft parking and servicing arrangements, improved weapons movement routes, a new nuclear propulsion plant and electrically powered systems intended to replace several legacy steam-driven auxiliaries. The Navy's own Gerald R. Ford overview describes the class as the first new U.S. aircraft-carrier design since USS Nimitz and emphasizes increased electrical generation, automation and provisions for future modernization.

The first steel for USS Gerald R. Ford was cut in August 2005. Its keel was laid in November 2009, the ship was launched in November 2013, and it was delivered to the Navy in May 2017 before commissioning on 22 July 2017. EMALS shipboard testing had begun before delivery, following extensive shore-based aircraft compatibility trials.

Construction of USS John F. Kennedy (CVN-79) began before the lead ship entered service. Its keel was laid in July 2015 and it was launched in 2019. Sources in the supplied material place its planned Navy delivery in 2027. USS Enterprise (CVN-80) had its keel laid in August 2022 and remains under construction. Published schedules in the supplied sources differ slightly on its planned entry into service, placing it around 2030 to 2031.

Steel for USS Doris Miller (CVN-81) was first cut in August 2021. Before the 2026 policy change concerning catapults, General Atomics had already received work associated with EMALS and Advanced Arresting Gear for the ship. The source report states that this work was nearly 50 percent complete when the proposed change to steam launch equipment was announced.

2026 steam-catapult directive

On 14 August 2026, the supplied source reported that President Donald Trump had ordered the Navy to return to steam-powered aircraft launch catapults on future Gerald R. Ford-class carriers beginning with USS Doris Miller. The report, citing a Wall Street Journal account of a national security memorandum, stated that the first three ships of the class would retain EMALS while later construction would revert to steam launch equipment.

The change would represent a major departure from the original Ford-class architecture. The class was designed specifically to eliminate the large steam-catapult installations used aboard Nimitz-class carriers. Steam catapults require high-pressure piping, accumulators and associated mechanical equipment below the flight deck, while the Ford design allocates those spaces and ship services differently around an electrical architecture.

The source therefore describes the proposed conversion of CVN-81 as much more extensive than a simple replacement of the catapult mechanism. It would require modifications to internal compartments, steam distribution, piping and other ship services. Because CVN-81 construction and EMALS-related manufacturing were already under way, the report also identifies potential cost and schedule effects. The available material does not document a completed CVN-81 redesign, so the steam-catapult configuration should be treated as a directed future change rather than an already completed technical standard.

Design

Hull and flight deck

The Gerald R. Ford class retains the general scale and basic hull form of the preceding Nimitz class. The ships displace approximately 100,000 tonnes at full load and have a flight deck approximately 333 m long and 78 m wide. The waterline beam is about 41 m.

The island is smaller and positioned farther aft than on earlier U.S. supercarriers. Moving the island increases usable flight-deck space and contributes to revised aircraft movement patterns. The flight deck has three deck-edge aircraft elevators rather than four, and aircraft servicing, refuelling and rearming locations were reorganized to reduce unnecessary movement between landing and relaunch.

The weapons movement system was also redesigned. Advanced Weapons Elevators move ordnance from magazines toward flight-deck handling areas, while the internal routing was arranged to reduce interference between weapon movement and aircraft traffic. These changes form part of the Navy's effort to increase sortie generation while reducing the number of personnel required for material handling.

Propulsion and electrical power

Each carrier uses two A1B pressurized-water nuclear reactors and four propulsion shafts. The propulsion plant was designed to produce substantially more electrical power than the Nimitz-class system. The Naval Technology class profile describes an increase of approximately 150 percent in electrical power generation and distribution compared with the preceding class, while the Navy describes CVN-78 as having three times the electrical-generation capacity of previous carriers.

The additional electrical capacity supports systems such as EMALS, Advanced Weapons Elevators and modern sensors while also reserving capacity for future equipment. The class was designed for a service life of approximately 50 years per ship, making growth margin for later systems an important feature of the power architecture.

Aircraft launch system

USS Gerald R. Ford uses four EMALS catapults instead of the steam catapults fitted to Nimitz-class carriers. EMALS accelerates an aircraft with a linear induction motor. Electrical energy is stored and released rapidly during a launch, while closed-loop control allows the system to regulate the aircraft's acceleration more precisely than a conventional steam catapult.

The supplied EMALS technical summary describes the system as capable of providing smoother acceleration and a wider launch envelope for aircraft of different weights. This was particularly important to the Ford design because future carrier air wings are expected to include both crewed aircraft and unmanned platforms.

EMALS experienced substantial reliability problems during development and early testing. Later shipboard use accumulated a much larger operational data set. The source report states that by March 2026 the four catapults aboard USS Gerald R. Ford had completed nearly 37,000 aircraft launches. The 2026 decision to direct steam catapults for later carriers therefore came after EMALS had moved from developmental testing into sustained fleet use.

Aircraft recovery

The class also introduced Advanced Arresting Gear. AAG replaces the traditional arresting system with a system designed to provide more controlled energy absorption during aircraft recovery. It is intended to accommodate a broader range of carrier aircraft weights and reduce peak loads imposed on aircraft structures during arrested landings.

AAG and EMALS were developed as complementary parts of the Ford-class aviation system. The Navy states that the combination provides greater control over both launch and recovery and supports current and projected tailhook-equipped aircraft.

Sensors

USS Gerald R. Ford was built with the Dual Band Radar arrangement combining the AN/SPY-3 X-band multifunction radar and AN/SPY-4 S-band volume-search radar. The arrays were integrated into the smaller island and designed to provide search, tracking and fire-control-related functions without mechanically rotating antennas.

The radar configuration changes on subsequent ships. Beginning with USS John F. Kennedy, the supplied sources identify the AN/SPY-6(V)3 Enterprise Air Surveillance Radar as the principal S-band radar, complemented by the AN/SPQ-9B X-band radar. This distinction is important because the sensor suite of CVN-78 should not be treated as identical to that of every later Ford-class carrier.

Self-defense armament

The class carries defensive missile and gun systems intended to protect the carrier against aircraft, missiles and close-range surface threats. The CVN-78 configuration listed in the supplied material includes two Mk 29 launchers for RIM-162 Evolved SeaSparrow Missiles, two Mk 49 launchers for RIM-116 Rolling Airframe Missiles, Phalanx close-in weapon systems and 25 mm and 12.7 mm guns.

Crew and automation

Automation and revised machinery arrangements were intended to reduce the manpower required to operate the carrier. The Navy describes the ship's company as approximately 2,600 sailors, several hundred fewer than on a Nimitz-class carrier. Broader complement figures increase when the embarked air wing and associated personnel are included.

The Ford design also introduced smaller berthing compartments and other changes to habitability. Reduced crew requirements are tied not only to accommodation but also to electric auxiliaries, automated systems, revised maintenance concepts and improved weapons handling.

Operational history

USS Gerald R. Ford entered service in July 2017. The ship then continued a lengthy period of testing and qualification involving EMALS, Advanced Arresting Gear, weapons elevators and other first-of-class systems. In July 2017, an F/A-18F Super Hornet made the first shipboard EMALS launch from the carrier, and later qualification work expanded the system's operational use.

By 2022, Ford was conducting carrier air operations during deployment. The Navy and other supplied sources subsequently reported steadily increasing numbers of launch and recovery cycles. The August 2026 source states that EMALS had completed nearly 37,000 launches aboard Ford by March 2026, demonstrating that the system had moved far beyond its initial developmental phase despite continuing debate over reliability and lifecycle support.

Naval Technology also reports operational deployment of Gerald R. Ford during 2026 and records a non-combat-related fire aboard the carrier in March of that year. The incident did not alter the class design but forms part of the lead ship's operational record.

Program status

The Gerald R. Ford program is planned as a long-term replacement for the Nimitz class. Six ships have been named in the supplied material, with additional hull numbers expected later in the program.

• USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78): Lead ship. Launched in 2013 and commissioned in 2017. It uses EMALS and Advanced Arresting Gear.
• USS John F. Kennedy (CVN-79): Second ship. Keel laid in 2015 and launched in 2019. Delivery to the Navy is planned for 2027. It is planned with EMALS and the later AN/SPY-6(V)3 radar configuration.
• USS Enterprise (CVN-80): Third ship. Keel laid in 2022 and under construction. Supplied sources place planned commissioning around 2030 to 2031. It is one of the first three ships reported to retain EMALS.
• USS Doris Miller (CVN-81): Fourth ship. Steel cutting began in 2021. It was originally being produced with EMALS and AAG equipment, but the August 2026 source reports a presidential directive to redesign this ship and subsequent Ford-class carriers around steam-powered launch catapults.
• USS William J. Clinton (CVN-82): Planned future Ford-class carrier. Naval Technology lists a planned delivery in 2040.
• USS George W. Bush (CVN-83): Planned future Ford-class carrier. Naval Technology lists a planned delivery in 2043.

Variants

• CVN-78 configuration: Original Ford-class configuration with EMALS, AAG and the AN/SPY-3 and AN/SPY-4 Dual Band Radar arrangement.
• CVN-79 and CVN-80 configuration: Follow-on carriers retaining EMALS while adopting the AN/SPY-6(V)3 Enterprise Air Surveillance Radar and AN/SPQ-9B radar arrangement identified in the supplied sources.
• CVN-81 and later planned configuration: The August 2026 source reports a directive to replace the originally planned electromagnetic catapults with steam-powered aircraft launch catapults beginning with USS Doris Miller. The final detailed engineering configuration is not established in the supplied material.

Operators

• United States Navy: Operator of the Gerald R. Ford class. USS Gerald R. Ford is in service, while additional ships are in construction or planned stages.

Specifications (USS Gerald R. Ford, CVN-78)

General characteristics

• Type: Nuclear-powered aircraft carrier
• Full-load displacement: Approximately 100,000 tonnes
• Length: Approximately 333 m
• Flight-deck beam: Approximately 78 m
• Waterline beam: Approximately 41 m
• Draft: Approximately 12 m
• Decks: 25
• Ship's crew: Approximately 2,600 sailors
• Aircraft capacity: More than 75 aircraft; some supplied project sources cite capacity for up to 90 depending on aircraft mix

Propulsion and performance

• Reactors: 2 A1B pressurized-water nuclear reactors
• Propulsion: Steam turbines driving 4 shafts
• Speed: More than 30 knots
• Designed service life: Approximately 50 years

Aviation systems

• Aircraft launch system: 4 Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System catapults
• Aircraft recovery system: Advanced Arresting Gear
• Aircraft elevators: 3 deck-edge elevators
• Design sortie rate: Approximately 160 sorties per day

Sensors

• Multifunction radar: AN/SPY-3 X-band active electronically scanned array
• Volume-search radar: AN/SPY-4 S-band active electronically scanned array

Armament

• Surface-to-air missiles: 2 Mk 29 launchers for RIM-162 Evolved SeaSparrow Missiles
• Point-defense missiles: 2 Mk 49 launchers for RIM-116 Rolling Airframe Missiles
• Close-in weapon systems: 3 Phalanx CIWS
• Additional guns: Mk 38 25 mm systems and 12.7 mm machine guns

Related equipment

• Nimitz class: Preceding U.S. Navy nuclear-powered aircraft-carrier class. Its steam catapults and lower electrical-generation capacity formed important points of comparison during development of the Ford class.
• Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System: General Atomics electromagnetic catapult originally selected as the standard aircraft-launch system for the Ford class.

Additional class data and construction chronology are summarized by the Gerald R. Ford-class reference article and the SeaForces class profile. These supplied references broadly agree on the class dimensions, nuclear propulsion arrangement, four-shaft configuration and the central role of EMALS in the original design.