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United States Huntington Ingalls Industries
Gerald R. Ford-class Aircraft Carrier
The U.S. Navy's newest class of nuclear-powered supercarriers, succeeding the Nimitz class with electromagnetic catapults (EMALS), advanced arresting gear and a smaller crew requirement. Ten hulls are planned.
In service since 2017 · 1 operator countries
Compiled from public sources ·primary reference ↗ ·last verified 2026-07-02
100,000
t
30
kn
4,539
crew
💲 ≈ $13,300,000,000, Matches the final procurement cost of the lead ship, USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78), about $13.32 billion, which includes cost growth from concurrent development of new systems like EMALS and the Advanced Arresting Gear. Follow-on ships run in a similar $13 to 15 billion band once learning-curve effects are applied.
Procurement snapshot
Availability & export
US ITAR-controlled
Export needs U.S. State Dept (DDTC) approval; end-use & re-transfer restrictions apply.
Channel: Foreign Military Sales (FMS) or Direct Commercial Sale
Fielded & proven
Limited · 1 operator
In service since 2017. Status: active · ~2 built.
Lifecycle cost (est.)
$33B – $47B
Acquisition is only ~30% of lifecycle cost, operating & support dominate over ~35 yrs. Rough 2.5–3.5× the unit price. How we estimate this →
Interoperability
No standardised NATO calibre / datalink detected in public specs.
Derived guidance from public data, export regime by country of origin, lifecycle from the GAO ~30% acquisition rule. Verify eligibility, pricing and offsets with the manufacturer and your acquisition authority.
Overview
The Gerald R. Ford class is the US Navy's newest generation of nuclear-powered supercarrier, designed to generate more sorties than the preceding Nimitz class while operating with a smaller crew. Its signature innovations are the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS) replacing steam catapults, Advanced Arresting Gear, a repositioned island, and greater electrical capacity intended to support future systems such as directed-energy weapons.
The lead ship, USS Gerald R. Ford, is the most expensive warship ever built, and the programme has been dogged by cost overruns and long teething problems with EMALS, the arresting gear and weapons elevators. Follow-on ships are under construction, extending the class as the backbone of US carrier aviation for decades.
In 2023 the Ford made its operational mark when it was deployed to the Eastern Mediterranean as a deterrence signal following the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war, underscoring the carrier's enduring role as a mobile instrument of American power projection. Its presence in a period of escalating Middle Eastern conflict illustrated why, despite its troubled development, the class remains central to US strategy.
Compatible munitions & weapons
Publicly reported weapons the Gerald R. Ford-class Aircraft Carrier can carry. Linked items have a full spec page.
Full specifications
Firepower
Armament, payload and guidance.
| Main armament Primary weapon: main gun, cannon or missile type. | RIM-162 ESSM, RIM-116 RAM point-defense missiles |
|---|
Physical
Dimensions, weight and crew.
| Length Overall length including gun/probe where applicable. | 337 m |
|---|
Sensors & avionics
Radar, sensor suite and datalinks.
| Radar Primary radar. AESA (active electronically scanned array) is the current state of the art. | AN/SPY-3 dual-band radar |
|---|---|
| Sensors IRST, EO/IR turrets, laser designators, sniper pods, thermal sights. | Dual Band Radar |
Program
Cost, production scale and operators.
| Unit cost Approximate flyaway/unit cost where public. Defense pricing varies hugely by contract, offsets and configuration. Lower is cheaper. | $13,300,000,000 |
|---|---|
| Units built Total production run. Higher means proven manufacturing, mature logistics and spares availability. | 2 |
| Operator countries Number of countries operating the system. More operators means broader support ecosystem. | 1 |
Specifications compiled from public Huntington Ingalls Industries and reference sources ↗. Published defense figures are approximations, treat comparisons as directional. Last verified 2026-07-02.
Compare with rivals
See how it stacks up
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Gerald R. Ford-class Aircraft Carrier vs
Queen Elizabeth-class 
Type 003 Fujian 
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Sejong the Great-class destroyer Frequently asked questions
What is the main armament of the Huntington Ingalls Industries Gerald R. Ford-class Aircraft Carrier? +
The Huntington Ingalls Industries Gerald R. Ford-class Aircraft Carrier's primary weapon is the RIM-162 ESSM, RIM-116 RAM point-defense missiles.
How many countries operate the Huntington Ingalls Industries Gerald R. Ford-class Aircraft Carrier? +
The Huntington Ingalls Industries Gerald R. Ford-class Aircraft Carrier is operated by 1 countries.
How much does the Huntington Ingalls Industries Gerald R. Ford-class Aircraft Carrier cost? +
The Huntington Ingalls Industries Gerald R. Ford-class Aircraft Carrier has an approximate unit cost of 13,300,000,000 USD. Defense pricing varies by contract, offsets and configuration, treat this as directional.
Similar systems
Related coverage
Gerald R. Ford-class Aircraft Carrier in the news
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