The U.S. Navy’s next-generation supercarrier USS Gerald R. Ford
(CVN 78) set sail from Naval Station Norfolk on Tuesday (May 2) on its first combat deployment.
Following a two-month deployment in the U.S. 2nd and 6th Fleet areas of operation in fall
2022, this marks Gerald R. Ford’s second deployment and its first with a combat focus.
The deployment comes nearly six years after its delivery from Huntington Ingalls Industries’
Newport News Shipbuilding and subsequent commissioning in 2017, marking the first
new-design aircraft carrier delivered to the Navy since USS Nimitz (CVN 68) in 1975. It is also the
first aircraft carrier to join the fleet since USS George H. W. Bush (CVN 77) was delivered in 2009.
In this video, Defense Updates reports on the first combat deployment of USS Gerald R. Ford.
Let's get into the details.
The Gerald R. Ford is the lead ship in the Navy’s Gerald R. Ford class of nuclear-powered
aircraft carriers and the capital ship of the Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group (GRFCSG).
The strike group comprises over 6,000 Sailors, Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 8, Destroyer Squadron
(DESRON) 2, the Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Normandy (CG 60), and the Information
Warfare Commander. The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers USS Ramage (DDG 61),
USS McFaul (DDG 74), and USS Thomas Hudner (DDG 116) make up the ships of DESRON 2.
The USS Gerald R. Ford was delivered to the US Navy in 2017; however,
the post-delivery installation and commissioning procedures extended over four years, adding to the
unprecedented $13 billion cost of acquiring the vessel. Even in January of this year,
the Pentagon's testing watchdog cautioned that there may still be additional work required.
DOT&E in an annual report released in mid-January noted
"The reliability of CVN 78 catapults, arresting gear, and jet blast deflectors (JBDs)
continues to have an adverse effect on sortie generation and flight operations efficiency,"
Rear Adm. Greg Huffman, Commander, Carrier Strike Group 12 said,
“This strike group is the cornerstone of our Navy’s forward operations, capable of
meeting any tasking provided by regional combatant commanders to ensure peace and stability at sea.
Our presence at sea throughout the deployment will provide reassurance
to our partners and Allies that sea lanes will remain open and our joint
operations will demonstrate our commitment to interoperability and maritime stability.”
Capt. Rick Burgess, Ford’s commanding officer said,
“The Sailors of Gerald R. Ford are ready and able to perform because of
the strenuous training they have put in to get this ship ready to deploy, and also in
large part to the support of their families and friends. This ship and crew are actively
reshaping the face of our Navy’s capabilities and strengthening the future of naval aviation.”
Viewers may note that Ford successfully completed the third and final scheduled
explosive event for Full Ship Shock Trials on Aug. 8, 2021.
The U.S. military detonated a 20-tonne or 40,000-pound bomb next to the new supercarrier.
The explosion was so powerful that it registered 3.9 on the Richter Scale.
The blast is comparable to 100 modern depth charges exploding simultaneously.
Ford-class supercarriers are being built to replace some of the United States Navy’s
existing Nimitz-class carriers since the Nimitz design has now reached its threshold.
Being the first ship of the class, the success of Gerald R. Ford is critical.
It brings in completely new technologies such as large-scale automation, new reactors,
Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch Systems, Advanced Arresting Gear,
Advanced Weapons Elevators and new sensors.
The carrier on April 2 wrapped up its required Composite Training Unit Exercise or COMPTUEX,
in which it worked to integrate carrier strike group elements as a cohesive force, according
to the Navy. The exercise also marked the first time the carrier embarked a full carrier air wing.
Rear Adm. Greg Huffman, commander of Carrier Strike Group 12, said in a Navy news release,
“COMPTUEX served as a doctorate-level test of the strike group’s ability to
operate collectively across the spectrum of warfare areas
while incorporating the first-in-class Gerald R. Ford into the strike group,”
Huffman said, “The robust scenarios challenged
every facet of our warfighting capability, enabling growth and learning at every level,
allowing us to further refine our warfare tactics and processes. The exercise solidified our
already-cohesive strike group, and I’m extremely proud of the team’s determination and eagerness
to constantly learn and improve in the most demanding situations. Our readiness is the
highest it has ever been, and I feel fortunate for the opportunity to deploy with this amazing team.”
During the fall operations, the crew was oriented with the new technologies installed on the vessel
and worked on air defense, anti-subsurface warfare, and distributed maritime operations.
The COMPTUEX exercise facilitated the carrier crew to experiment with
fresh methods to utilize some of the new technology on the Ford,
such as the dual-band radar system that was customized for the ship.
When Gerald R. Ford was commissioned, the U.S. Navy hadn’t commissioned a
new generation of aircraft carriers in almost 40 years.
As the lead ship of the Ford-class aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford represents
not only a significant leap forward in the U.S. Navy’s ability to project power globally,
but its proper operation in real-life situations is important for the next ships
John F. Kennedy (CVN-79), Enterprise (CVN-80), Doris Miller (CVN-81) and yet to be named CVN-82.
The Ford Carrier Strike Group is heading to U.S. 6th Fleet, where it will project power
for U.S. Naval Forces Europe and Africa. It replaces the George H.W. Bush CSG,
which returned to Norfolk, Virginia, concluding a nearly 8-month deployment to U.S. 6th Fleet.
If Gerald R. Ford is able to complete the deployment without any major issues,
it will be a great boost to the US Navy and US military as a whole.
Also, it is important to note, the warship is en route to Europe,
a region currently grappling with its most significant security
crisis in recent years due to Russia's involvement in the Ukrainian conflict.