Key Points and Summary – America’s Ford-class supercarriers trade higher upfront costs for lasting combat value.
-USS Gerald R. Ford debuts EMALS catapults and Advanced Arresting Gear to launch and recover more kinds of aircraft with smoother acceleration, lower maintenance and smaller crews.
Ford-Class. Image Credit: Creative Commons
The Ford-class aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) and the Italian aircraft carrier ITS Cavour (CVH 550) transit the Atlantic Ocean March 20, 2021, marking the first time a Ford-class and Italian carrier have operated together underway. As part of the Italian Navy’s Ready for Operations (RFO) campaign for its flagship, Cavour is conducting sea trials in coordination with the F-35 Lightning II Joint Program Office’s Patuxent River Integrated Test Force to obtain official certification to safely operate the F-35B. Gerald R. Ford is conducting integrated carrier strike group operations during independent steaming event 17 as part of her post-delivery test and trials phase of operations. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Riley McDowell)
-Two A1B reactors provide far more electrical power for sensors and future weapons.
-Ford fields Dual Band Radar; follow-on ships adopt the EASR family derived from SPY-6.
-Air wings of F/A-18E/Fs and F-35Cs, refueled by MQ-25, will eventually integrate the sixth-gen F/A-XX. Greater range and sortie generation let carriers operate farther from “carrier-killer” missiles, sustaining deterrence and sea control for 50 years.
The F0rd-Class Gets a Reboot in Reputation
The Ford-class aircraft carriers, just a few years ago, suffered from what I would call a crisis of reputation. Many experts panned them as overpriced, late, and obsolete.
But, now, the good news: The Ford-class is having a moment for sure, and that reputation is getting a little bit of a reboot.
In fact, the U.S. Navy’s Ford-class supercarriers are ushering in a new era of naval warfare.
They may be expensive — the USS Gerald R. Ford has set the Navy back $13.3 billion — but they are built for the long haul. As carriers are meant to do, they will project power, keep sea lines of communication open, deter enemies, and secure freedom of navigation in the Indo-Pacific and other regions.
The Ford-class features standout new flight deck technologies, a better radar and sensor system, and modern, state-of-the-art nuclear reactors, along with the ability to launch and arrest F-35C Lightning II fighter jets. Maybe someday they will also deploy the F/A-XX sixth-generation warplane.
EMALS Is Second-to-None
The electromagnetic aircraft launch system (EMALS) stands apart from its predecessor technologies. The EMALS allows for smoother launches and generates a higher sortie rate. The Gerald R. Ford is the first carrier with an EMALS, and it is a big improvement over the steam-powered launch systems on the Nimitz-class. Its acceleration is a boon for all types of aircraft, in particular for F/A-18 E/F Super Hornets and F-35Cs fully loaded with munitions. It can also launch lighter aircraft, such as drones.
The Navy claims the EMALS will have “better reliability and efficiency; more accurate end-speed control and smoother acceleration; expanded operational capability with increased sortie rates; and cost reduction over time due to decreased manning and maintenance requirements.”
Advanced Arresting Gear Needs Less Maintenance
The advanced arresting gear (AAG) is an improvement over previous systems to arrest aircraft on carriers. The “AAG is a modular, integrated system consisting of energy absorbers, power conditioning equipment and digital controls,” NAVAIR said.
The AAG will be more reliable, with shorter maintenance periods. It will be safer, reducing accidents that could send aircraft overboard. There are fewer sailors needed to operate the system. This manpower advantage, and the lesser need for repairs, pays for itself by saving funds that can be spent on other technologies.
ATLANTIC OCEAN (Oct. 29, 2019) USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) conducts high-speed turns in the Atlantic Ocean. Ford is at sea conducting sea trials following the in port portion of its 15 month post-shakedown availability. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Connor Loessin)
Better Nuclear Reactors
The Ford-class carriers incorporate two modern A1B nuclear reactors. These propel the ship and power the electricity on board. The A1B is an improved reactor compared to the A4W, with a 25 percent increase in thermal power output.
The A1B produces 125 megawatts of electricity and 350,000 shaft horsepower. Fewer personnel are needed to operate the reactors, and less maintenance is required, which will save even more funds over the long run.
Radar Systems Are Only Getting Better
The Gerald R. Ford has dual band radar, but the future John F. Kennedy will have the Enterprise air surveillance radar, or EASR. This will be one of the best radar systems in the fleet perfect for identifying, tracking, and helping destroy targets from enemy airplanes; anti-ship carrier-killing missiles; and drones of the type that were so prevalent in recent engagements with the Houthis in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.
As Kris Osborn writes, “EASR uses gallium nitride (GaN) semiconductor technology and builds upon standard hardware, software, and processing elements of the Navy’s next-generation AN/SPY-6(V) Air and Missile Defense Radar now on the service’s Flight III DDG 51 destroyers.”
Fighter Jet Squadrons Are the Best in the World
Fighter wings on the Ford-class carriers for now comprise Super Hornets and F-35Cs, but someday they may include the future F/A-XX. The stealthy F-35C can bring the fight to the enemy while remaining virtually undetectable. The Super Hornet is exceptionally maneuverable and speedy. Both are great dogfighters with the ability to destroy targets on the ground. They match up well against Russian and Chinese fighters.
If the Navy proceeds with its proposed F/A-XX sixth-generation fighter, the outcome for naval warfighters will be exceptional. The F/A-XX will likely have next-generation traits such as ultra-stealth; speeds between Mach 2 and Mach 3; the ability to quarterback drones; artificial intelligence in the cockpit; and hypersonic weapons.
The F/A-XX and the F-35C could provide an excellent one-two punch from carriers on Day One of warfare. After those platforms suppress enemy air defenses, Super Hornets could also swoop in to attack ground targets during conventional warfare on Day Two.
While the Ford-class carriers are expensive and time-consuming to build, they bristle with modern features. They will be in service for 50 years. This is good news for a navy that is lagging in the number of ships it builds each year. There have been some delays and cost overruns, but there is much to love about these new carriers. Whether it is better flight deck technology or the improved nuclear reactors, the Ford-class will save money over time thanks to reduced crew needs and less maintenance.
The aviation wing will have powerful fighter jets — and the future F/A-XX, bolstered by the refueling power of the new MQ-25 Stingray drone tanker, would have the extended range needed to allow aircraft carriers to sail outside the range of enemy carrier-killing missiles. The Ford-class will thus be that much more survivable and suited for warfare in the Indo-Pacific, the Atlantic, or the Middle East.
Look out for this group of carriers as the Navy plans and carries out its best practices for naval warfare in the future.
About the Author: Brent M. Eastwood
Brent M. Eastwood, PhD is the author of Don’t Turn Your Back On the World: a Conservative Foreign Policy and Humans, Machines, and Data: Future Trends in Warfare plus two other books. Brent was the founder and CEO of a tech firm that predicted world events using artificial intelligence. He served as a legislative fellow for US Senator Tim Scott and advised the senator on defense and foreign policy issues. He has taught at American University, George Washington University, and George Mason University. Brent is a former US Army Infantry officer. He can be followed on X @BMEastwood.
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Skink87
October 6, 2025 at 9:50 am
While the Ford class may eventually surpass the predecessor Nimitz class in areas like cost, maintenance, crew size, sortie generation, etc, there is still a long way to go.
I think your readers would appreciate if the author would provide updates on how new systems like EMALS, AAG, A1B reactors, & the weapons elevators are actually performing now that CVN-78 has been on a deployment or two. Are they actually living up to the promise or are there still problems being worked out.
Finally, it should be noted that as currently designed and built, CVN-78 cannot operate F-35s due to thermal issues that were no known during construction. CVN-79 should be ready to operate the F-35 from it’s commissioning, but CVN-78 will have to be retrofitted.