NAVY SHIPS

摘要

BRIEFING: Aircraft carriers play a vital role in protecting U.S. security interests overseas and establishing stability in the world's trouble spots. By law, the Navy maintains a force of 11 carriers. The all-nuclear carrier force now in service includes the 10-ship Nimitz class and USS Gerald R. Ford, lead ship of the CVN 21 next-generation carrier class. Gerald R. Ford was commissioned on July 22, 2017. The ship is engaging in an extended series of trials before its first deployment. Major goals of the Ford-class design are to increase the sortie-generation rate and electrical generating capacity. The ships are designed to maximize the striking power of the embarked carrier air wing to generate a 25 percent boost in the sortie rate over the Nimitz class. The Ford-class configuration and electrical generating plant are designed to accommodate any foreseeable requirements during its 50-year service life.