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Navy launches USS Gerald Ford
The U.S. Navy enters the 22nd century on Saturday. In Newport News, Virginia, the Navy will christen 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. 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 today's 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 is skinnier, taller and set farther aft on the ship, allowing for more flight-deck operations and plane maintenance. It's 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 haven't 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. This new class of carriers is designed with built-in flexibility to accommodate future Navy decisions about aircraft and missions.And it's designed to do all this on the cheap. Most of the lights in the ship will use high-efficiency bulbs that will last twice as long between changes. And the ship is designed to require 30% less maintenance over its lifespan. Finally and most importantly, because of designed efficiencies, it'll put to sea with 1,000 fewer sailors and Marines than a Nimitz-class carrier. Over the life of the Ford, the efficiency of the ship, the Navy said, will save $4 billion Posted by: tu3031 2013-11-09 |
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