# USS Gerald R. Ford (DD-710)

> USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) is the lead ship of the US Navy's newest class of nuclear-powered aircraft carriers. It was delivered on May 31, 2017, and commissioned on July 22, 2017, at Naval Station Norfolk. According to the Congressional Research Service, its two A1B reactors give it about three times the electrical generating capacity of a Nimitz-class carrier. The class is designed for a sortie rate about 33% higher than the Nimitz class, with about 700 fewer shipboard crew. New systems include EMALS electromagnetic catapults, Advanced Arresting Gear and electromagnetic weapons elevators. Pentagon testers and the GAO have reported reliability problems and delays with several of them. The ship's first full deployment came in 2023.

- Department: Military (also Tech)
- First published: 2026-03-30
- Last updated: 2026-03-30
- Permalink: https://detailenjoyer.com/case/uss-gerald-r-ford/
- Author: Marcus Easterling (DetailEnjoyer), The Detail Department

## On the timeline

- **May 31, 2017**: USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) is delivered to the Navy
- **July 22, 2017**: USS Gerald R. Ford is commissioned at Naval Station Norfolk
- **2023**: USS Gerald R. Ford makes its first full deployment

Full timeline: https://detailenjoyer.com/timeline/?case=uss-gerald-r-ford

## Quick facts

- **DD-710-F01**: Ford's A1B reactors give it about three times the electrical capacity of a Nimitz-class carrier (CRS). _(Write-up · Exhibit B (More power))_
- **DD-710-F02**: Ford was commissioned on July 22, 2017. _(Write-up · Exhibit A (The ship))_

## Write-up

Launching jets without steam. The Navy's newest carrier class uses electromagnetic catapults.

1. **The ship**: CVN-78 is named for the 38th US president. It was delivered on May 31, 2017, and commissioned on July 22, 2017. The follow-on ships in its class are John F. Kennedy (CVN-79), Enterprise (CVN-80) and Doris Miller (CVN-81).
2. **More power**: According to CRS, the two A1B reactors give the ship about three times the electrical generating capacity of a Nimitz-class carrier. That headroom is meant for electric catapults, elevators and future systems.
3. **Launch and recovery**: EMALS replaces steam catapults with linear electric motors, and Advanced Arresting Gear (AAG) replaces the older hydraulic arresting engines. Electromagnetic weapons elevators move munitions between decks.
4. **Design goals**: The Navy's targets for the class are about 160 sustained and 270 surge sorties a day, about 33% more than the Nimitz class, with about 700 fewer shipboard crew.
5. **Growing pains**: DOT&E annual reports and GAO reviews have flagged the reliability of EMALS, AAG and the weapons elevators. The ship's first full deployment came in 2023, about six years after commissioning.

## Related case files

- [Sending EMALS (DD-025)](https://detailenjoyer.com/case/sending-emals/): The Ford's electromagnetic catapults in depth
- [Destroyer (DD-147)](https://detailenjoyer.com/case/destroyer/): I linked another US Navy ship
- [Uranium Ural (DD-579)](https://detailenjoyer.com/case/uranium-ural/): Another nuclear-powered ship
- [Ekranoplan (DD-704)](https://detailenjoyer.com/case/ekranoplan/): Another case about warships at sea
- [Battling Barnacles (DD-705)](https://detailenjoyer.com/case/battling-barnacles/): Another case about naval ship operations

## Reel vs. record

- **Missing context**: Pentagon testers (DOT&E) and GAO have reported reliability problems with EMALS, the arresting gear and the weapons elevators. The first full deployment didn't come until 2023.
- **Precision**: CRS puts the electrical gain at about three times the generating capacity of a Nimitz-class carrier.
- **Precision**: 'higher sortie rates' is a design target, about 160 sustained and 270 surge sorties a day, roughly 33% above Nimitz.
- **Missing context**: the class is also designed to need about 700 fewer shipboard crew than a Nimitz carrier.
- **Date detail**: the ship was delivered on May 31, 2017, and commissioned on July 22, 2017, at Naval Station Norfolk.

## Video: USS Gerald R. Ford: Launching Jets Without Steam

- Duration: 32.5 s · Published: 2026-03-30
- File: https://detailenjoyer.com/assets/videos/DWiFT32DEYt.mp4

### Transcript

DID YOU KNOW? The USS Gerald R. Ford is the lead ship of the Gerald R. Ford class aircraft carrier, representing the newest generation of American nuclear-powered aircraft carriers. Commissioned in 2017 and named after US President Gerald R. Ford, the ship introduced several major technological upgrades compared with earlier carriers like the Nimitz class aircraft carrier. These include the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System, or EMALS, advanced arresting gear for landings, a redesigned flight deck for higher sortie rates, and improved nuclear reactors that generate far more electrical power for future systems.

## Questions & answers

**Q: What does EMALS replace?**  
A: Its linear electric motors replace steam catapults. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit C (Launch and recovery) · Congressional Research Service: Navy Ford (CVN-78) Class Aircraft Carrier Program, Background and Issues for Congress; Wikipedia: USS Gerald R. Ford)_

**Q: Roughly how much electrical generating capacity does Ford have compared with a Nimitz carrier, per CRS?**  
A: About three times. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit A (The ship) · Wikipedia: USS Gerald R. Ford; Congressional Research Service: Navy Ford (CVN-78) Class Aircraft Carrier Program, Background and Issues for Congress)_

**Q: When was the ship commissioned?**  
A: It was commissioned on July 22, 2017. Delivery was May 31, 2017. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit B (More power) · Congressional Research Service: Navy Ford (CVN-78) Class Aircraft Carrier Program, Background and Issues for Congress)_

**Q: What is Ford's hull number?**  
A: CVN-78. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit A (The ship) · Wikipedia: USS Gerald R. Ford; Congressional Research Service: Navy Ford (CVN-78) Class Aircraft Carrier Program, Background and Issues for Congress)_

**Q: About how many sustained sorties a day is the class designed for?**  
A: About 160, with up to 270 in a surge. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit D (Design goals) · Congressional Research Service: Navy Ford (CVN-78) Class Aircraft Carrier Program, Background and Issues for Congress)_

## Sources

- [Congressional Research Service: Navy Ford (CVN-78) Class Aircraft Carrier Program, Background and Issues for Congress](https://www.congress.gov/crs_external_products/RS/PDF/RS20643/RS20643.301.pdf)
- [DOT&E FY2024 Annual Report: CVN 78 Gerald R. Ford Class Nuclear Aircraft Carrier](https://www.dote.osd.mil/Portals/97/pub/reports/FY2024/navy/2024cvn78.pdf)
- [Wikipedia: USS Gerald R. Ford](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Gerald_R._Ford)

## Cite this case file

Easterling, Marcus. "USS Gerald R. Ford." The Detail Department (DetailEnjoyer), case file DD-710, last updated Mar 30, 2026. https://detailenjoyer.com/case/uss-gerald-r-ford/