Gerald R. Ford-class – The Largest Aircraft Carrier in The World
Today we will do a detailed analysis of Gerald R. Ford’s class – The Largest Aircraft Carrier in The World
Class Gerald R. Ford or CVN-21 is the biggest AIRCRAFT Carrier in the world. The Supercarrier is one of the most destructive and most feared US weapons in the world.
From the CVN-78 to the 82 until the moment of this article is the most advanced Aircraft carrier with an advanced system of sensors, islands, future fighters, unique catapults, and a reactor totally different from the previous ones. All the aforementioned carried the cost of 112-116 million dollars.
The length of the Aircraft carrier is about 1,106 feet (337m), it is about 39 feet (12m) wide and 250 feet high (76m). It has 25 floors, displaces 100,000 tons, and has a speed of 30 knots (56 km / h; 35 mph).
Approximately 2,600 sailors among 500 officers and over 3,700 enlisted. Carrier two launchers RIM-162 RAM, 3 Phalanx CIWS, and 4 M2 calibers .50. On 75+ aircraft and 1,092 by 256 feet (333 m by 78 m) flight deck.
Sensors and means of defense:
The Gerald R. Ford class possesses an integrated, electronically active radar search and tracking system.
The double-band radar (DBR) was being developed by both the guided missile destroyers of the Zumwalt class and by the aircraft carriers of the Ford class by Raytheon.
The island can be kept smaller by replacing six to ten radar antennas with a single six-sided radar.
The DBR works by combining the multi-function radar AN / SPY-3 of the X-band with the transmitters of the volume search radar (VSR) of the S-band, distributed in three-phase arrays.
The three faces dedicated to the X-band radar are responsible for low-altitude tracking and radar illumination, while the other three faces dedicated to the S-band are responsible for the search and tracking of the target regardless of the weather.
It should be noted that it minimizes costs from $ 500 to $ 180 million.
Must read it too: USS Nimitz Class Aircraft Carrier -2nd largest in the world
Electromagnetic catapult:
The Electromagnetic Launching System for Aircraft (EMALS) is more efficient, smaller, lighter, more powerful, and easier to control.
Greater control means that EMALS can launch heavier and lighter aircraft than the steam catapult. In addition, using a controlled force will reduce stress on the fuselages, resulting in less maintenance and a longer life for the fuselage.
The power limitations for the Nimitz class make it impossible to install the recently developed EMALS. In June 2014, the Navy completed the EMALS prototype test of 450 launches of manned aircraft that involved all types of fixed-wing carrier aircraft in the McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst Joint Base during two aircraft compatibility test campaigns ( ACT).
Phase 1 of the ACT concluded in late 2011 after 134 launches (types of aircraft comprising the Super Hornet F / A-18E, the Azure T-45C, the greyhound C-2A, the E-2D Advanced Hawkeye, and the F -35C Lightning II).
Upon completion of ACT 1, the EMALS demonstrator was reconfigured to be more representative of the actual configuration of the ship aboard Ford, which will use four catapults that share several energy storages and energy conversion subsystems.
Phase 2 of ACT began on June 25, 2013, and ended on April 6, 2014, after another 310 launches (including the EA-18G Growler and F / A-18C Hornet releases), as well as another round of tests with types of aircraft previously launched during Phase 1). In Phase 2, various operator situations were simulated
Flight deck:
Changes in the cockpit are the most visible differences between the Nimitz and Gerald R. Ford classes.
Catapult No. 4 in the Nimitz class can not launch fully loaded aircraft due to a deficiency of wing clearance along the edge of the flight deck. CVN-78 will not have specific catapult restrictions for the launch of aircraft, but still has four catapults, two bows, and two waists.
The number of aircraft lifts from the hangar deck to the level of the flight deck was reduced from four to three. Another important change is that the smaller, redesigned island will be further back than those of the older operators.
Fewer aircraft movements require fewer deckhands to achieve them, reducing the size of the ship’s crew and increasing the exit rate. Also, the movement of weapons from storage and assembly to the aircraft in the flight deck has been simplified and accelerated.
The new route followed by the artillery does not cross any area of the movement of the aircraft, which reduces traffic problems in the hangars and on the flight deck. According to Rear Admiral Dennis M. Dwyer, these changes will make it possible hypothetically to rearm the aircraft in “minutes instead of hours.”
How is this beast moving?
The new Bechtel A1B reactor for the CVN 21 class is smaller and simpler, requires less crew, and is much more powerful than the A4W Nimitz-class reactor. Each Ford-class carrier has Two reactors
Each is capable of producing 300 MW of electricity, triple the 100 MW of each A4W.
“New technologies added to Nimitz-class ships have generated greater demand for electricity, the current basic load leaves little room to meet the growing demand for energy.
” Compared to the Nimitz-class reactor, the CVN 21 reactor has about half the valves, pipes, main pumps, condensers, and generators. The steam generation system uses less than 200 valves and only eight pipe sizes.
These improvements lead to more straightforward construction, lower maintenance, and lower labor requirements, as well as a more compact system that requires less space on the ship.
In addition, The modernization of the plant led to a higher energy density of the core, lower demands on pumping power, simpler construction, and the use of controls and modern electronic screens.
The new plant requires only one-third of the observation requirements and a decrease in maintenance is required.
As a result, A larger power output is a main component of the integrated war system.
Engineers took additional steps to ensure that the integration of unforeseen technological advances into an aircraft carrier of the Gerald R. Ford class was possible.
Gerald R. Ford-class – The Largest Aircraft Carrier in The World
The Navy expects the Gerald R. Ford class to be part of the fleet for 90 years, until the year 2105, which means that the class must successfully embrace the new technology over the decades.
These integration activities include testing the F-35C with EMALS from CVN-78 and the advanced stopping gear system and testing the ship’s storage capacities for the F-35C’s lithium-ion batteries (which provide start-up power and backup), tires, and wheels.
As a result of delays in the development of the F-35C, the US Navy UU will not deploy the aircraft until at least 2017.
As a result, the Navy has deferred the critical integration activities of the F-35C, which introduces the risk of system incompatibilities and costly vessel modifications.
Must read it too: Nimitz Class vs Gerald R Ford Class
Impressive!