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Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Building the world's most advanced aircraft carrier

The Gerald R. Ford

NEWPORT NEWS, Va.--In September, 2015, if all goes well, Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding will deliver CVN-78, the first of a brand-new class of nuclear-powered aircraft carriers, to the U.S. Navy.

The keel for this new giant was laid in September 2009, and it is expected to move from drydock to water in July 2013. The new carrier is both named the Gerald R. Ford and is the first Gerald R. Ford class of aircraft carrier. It breaks new technological ground for the Navy because it has a new power plant design, a brand-new Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System, and a reduced weight and flexible infrastructure enabling the addition of new technology down the line.

On Road Trip 2010, CNET reporter Daniel Terdiman stopped in at Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding here to see work on the new carrier and to get a first-hand look at some of the biggest industrial production in the world.


Rendering with schematic

This artist's rendering of the Gerald R. Ford shows some of the new features of the first-of-its-class aircraft carrier.

Krupp Crane

This Krupp crane, which is also being used in the construction of the Gerald R. Ford, weighs 200 metric tons.




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