Tracing the Whereabouts of the Ford-class Aircraft Carrier
The USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) is the lead ship of its class of United States Navy aircraft carriers. The ship is named after the 38th President of the United States, Gerald R. Ford, and is the first new aircraft carrier design for the U.S. Navy since the Nimitz class. The Ford-class carriers are designed to replace the Nimitz-class carriers, which have been in service since the 1970s.
The Ford is a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier with a displacement of 100,000 long tons. The ship is 1,092 feet (333 meters) long and has a beam of 256 feet (78 meters). The Ford has a crew of approximately 4,600 sailors and aircrew. The ship is armed with a variety of weapons, including RIM-162 Evolved Sea Sparrow Missiles, RIM-116 Rolling Airframe Missiles, and Phalanx Close-in Weapon Systems.