The USS Gerald R. Ford departed from Norfolk, Virginia, on Tuesday for its first deployment in the Atlantic zone, five years after being commissioned into service.
According to reports, the newest and most technologically advanced aircraft carrier in the US Navy will train in the Atlantic zone alongside partners from North America and Europe. According to a US Navy official, the USS Gerald Ford and the carrier strike group will conduct operations alongside allies and partners in the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean, which are the 2nd and 6th fleet’s respective areas of responsibility. The official noted that the deployment would be shorter than the typical six-month deployment.
“This deployment is an opportunity to push the ball further down the field and demonstrate the advantage that Ford and Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 8 bring to the future of naval aviation, to the region, and to our allies and partners,” Carrier Strike Group 12 Commander Rear Adm. Gregory Huffman said in a statement.
The deployment will involve “approximately 9,000 personnel from nine nations, 20 ships, and 60 aircraft,” a US Navy release said.
The US, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, and Sweden are among the countries taking part in the exercise, according to the press release.
A second Navy officer stated that while the USS Gerald Ford deployed on Tuesday, the other ships in the carrier strike group will depart to join the Ford on Wednesday. According to CNN, this is typical for these deployments.
According to the US Navy, the USS Gerald Ford is the first brand-new aircraft carrier to be developed in “almost 40 years.” According to a US Navy press release, the carrier’s construction officially started in November 2009, and former President Donald Trump commissioned it in 2017.
The vessel is the first aircraft carrier of the Ford class. The USS Kennedy and USS Enterprise, the following two Ford-class carriers, have started construction by the Navy.
According to the Navy, the aircraft carrier uses the electromagnetic aircraft launch system, or EMALS, and boasts new, cutting-edge technology, including “almost three times the amount of electrical power” compared to the Nimitz-class carriers.
The aircraft are launched off the ship using electric power instead of the old steam catapult mechanism under the EMALS system. According to a Navy spokesman, the technology will shorten the time between launches and reduce the strain placed on the aircraft as they are launched from the carrier.
A Dual-band radar, a more sophisticated radar system, is also installed on the ship. According to the officials, it will be the only forward-class carrier equipped with this type of radar.
