Key Points and Summary – A Ford-class aircraft carrier, the US Navy’s most advanced, can achieve a top or “flank” speed in excess of 30 knots (over 35 mph), powered by its two A1B nuclear reactors.
-While the exact top speed is classified, this allows the massive warship to traverse oceans rapidly when required for urgent deployments, such as positioning for a potential strike on Iran.
-In an emergency, a carrier strike group could transit from the US East Coast to the Mediterranean in approximately 5-10 days.
-However, flank speed is typically reserved for critical situations, as the conventionally powered escort ships would burn fuel at an unsustainable rate.
How Fast Is a Ford-Class Aircraft Carrier at Flank Speed?
In the recent United States airstrikes against Iran’s nuclear facilities, the B-2 bombers flew directly from their US bases in Missouri and continued non-stop for 18 hours to Iran.
But before the bombers could take off, the US Navy’s carrier strike groups had to be in position.
The Pentagon has deployed the USS Nimitz and its strike group to the Middle East, joining the USS Carl Vinson amid the ongoing war between Iran and Israel.
The Nimitz, on its final operational deployment before being decommissioned, arrived with four guided-missile destroyers and similar air power to the Vinson with Carrier Air Wing 17. Originally intended to replace the Carl Vinson, the two carrier groups will overlap in their deployment to the CENTCOM area of responsibility, a tactic that has been employed regularly over the last 20 months.
But in this case, the airstrikes weren’t tied to any direct timeline. But if they had, how fast could the carriers get in position?
What is Flank Speed For a Ford-class Carrier?
A Ford-class aircraft carrier, like the USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78), can reach a top speed exceeding 30 knots, which is over 35 miles per hour. The power generated by its two nuclear reactors helps the carrier achieve its high speed. While the exact flank speed is classified, it’s understood to be the speed at which the ship can sustain operation for a period without compromising its operational integrity.
Top Speed: The Ford class is designed to exceed speeds of 30 knots. The carrier’s two A1B nuclear reactors provide the power for this speed and also offer significantly more electrical capacity than previous Nimitz-class carriers.
While capable of high speeds, carriers can also execute tight turns, though this may be disruptive at high speeds, as we saw when an F-18 was lost overboard from an American carrier was forced to dodge a Houthi missile fired from Yemen.
Carriers generally cruise at around 20 knots but can reach higher speeds when necessary, especially during aircraft launch and recovery operations.
On the Nimitz-class carriers, the four propellers are approximately 25 feet in diameter, and each weighs about 30 tons. When power is applied, torque on the shafts is limited to prevent damage—the shafts can ‘twist’ up to one and a half times (540 degrees).
“The longest shafts are 184 feet long,” Ross Hall, an anti-submarine officer, explained while recounting what it is like to travel at flank speed on a carrier.
Hall said it looked like the sea was “beginning to boil.” The “rooster tail” rose upwards of 15 to 20 feet above sea level. The Ford-class carriers are even more powerful.
Support Ships in the Carrier Strike Group
The Ford Carrier Strike Group support ships, primarily guided-missile destroyers like the USS Winston S. Churchill, typically operate at speeds of around 30 knots (35 mph). The slowest ship usually dictates the overall speed of the strike group, so the destroyers will often cruise at a similar speed to the carrier.
A Ford-class aircraft carrier, with a top speed exceeding 30 knots (approximately 35 mph), can reach the Mediterranean Sea from the Atlantic Ocean in roughly 5-10 days, depending on its route and any stops along the way. Generally, the carrier strike group travels at a speed of 20 knots.
Flank speed is the maximum speed a ship can achieve and is generally not sustainable for prolonged periods.
While warships are designed to handle sustained high speeds, flank speed is typically reserved for critical situations, such as escaping immediate danger or engaging in combat. It is estimated that the Churchill would burn 6,000 gallons per hour at flank speed, so fuel consumption is a factor on conventional vessels.
So, while in an emergency, the USS Gerald Ford can quickly traverse the ocean like a hot rod muscle car, the strike group could not sustain that speed for long.
About the Author
Steve Balestrieri is a National Security Columnist. He served as a US Army Special Forces NCO and Warrant Officer. In addition to writing on defense, he covers the NFL for PatsFans.com and is a member of the Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA). His work was regularly featured in many military publications.
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