US commissions world’s largest aircraft carrier USS Gerald R Ford

The United States Navy on 22 July 2017 commissioned its most powerful warship USS Gerald R Ford into its fleet with the help of President Donald Trump.

The USD 13 billion USS Gerald R Ford carrier weighs 100000 tonnes and can apparently sail for 20 years without refuelling. The nuclear-powered aircraft carrier is fixed with modern technology with a capacity for more aircraft and weaponry than ever before.

Highlights of the USS Gerald R Ford
• The USS Ford is massive with a length of 1106-feet, almost the size of about three football fields.

• It features an electromagnetic launch system and advanced arresting gear for faster and more efficient take-offs and landings.

• The vessel is outfitted with touch screen navigation display in place of a traditional throttle.

• It is equipped with a reactor plant that can power the ship for up to 20 years without refuelling.

• The extra room allows for an expanded flight deck that is easier for jets and drones to manoeuvre around.

• It features a better-positioned island structure, giving improved visibility to the captain of the ship.

• Once officially deployed in 2020, it will house 2600 sailors, which will save more than USD 4 billion over the ship's 50-year lifespan.

The construction of the ship started in 2009 and was scheduled to be completed by September 2015 at a cost of USD 10.5 billion. The Ford was built at Newport News Shipbuilding, a giant Navy contractor in Virginia.