In Newport News, Virginia, the Navy christened its newest aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald Ford. This nuclear-powered ship is the first of a new class of at least 10 carriers that the Navy expects will be steaming the seas, protecting the United States well into the next century. The Ford itself is projected to stay in service until 2057. This carrier is state-of-the-art in naval architecture, according to news releases from the Navy and the shipbuilder. For example, the Ford will use electromagnetic force, similar to how modern roller coasters are propelled, to catapult planes off the deck instead of the pressurized steam used in todays fleet. The arresting gear that grabs planes when they land will be software-controlled, with the goal being less wear and tear on the planes. The island - the superstructure that rises above the flight deck - is skinnier, taller and set farther aft on the ship, allowing for more flight-deck operations and plane maintenance. Its also part of the reason the Ford will be able to carry more warplanes and launch 25% more air missions per day than the current carriers in the fleet, according to the Navy. Below the waterline its four 30-ton propellers will be driven by two newly-designed nuclear reactors. The planes that will eventually be jumping off its deck in the decades ahead havent even been designed yet. It remains to be seen if those planes have pilots or will be controlled by operators with computers who will fly the aircraft from the safety of a remote location.
Posted on: Tue, 12 Nov 2013 20:07:04 +0000
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