Ford Class (CVN 78 USS Gerald R. Ford)

[Beatmaster]

I was reading the MINDEF newspaper ( Official Dutch Military News Paper)
And there i found something you might like:
Its in dutch sorry

NEWPORT NEWS - De Amerikaanse marine heeft aan Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding een contract verleend, ter
waarde van 5,1 miljard dollar ( What the Hell?!? :shudder), voor het ontwerp en de bouw van de Future Aircraft Carrier.
Het eerste schip in deze nieuwe klasse, cvn 78, luistert naar de naam uss Gerald R. Ford
(vs vliegkampschepen worden naar ex-presidenten vernoemd)
en vormt een sterke verbetering ten opzichte van de huidige Nimitz-klasse, waarvan het
ontwerp nog uit de jaren ’60
stamt.
Zo heeft hij onder meer een nieuw vliegdek, betere apparatuur om landende toestellen mee tot stilstand te brengen,
een volledig nieuw elektromagnetisch systeem om vliegtuigen mee te lanceren, een modernere en eenvoudiger nucleaire voortstuwing
en nieuwe elektrische krachtbronnen.
Eind 2009 moet Ford-klasse in de maak de kiel worden gelegd en de aflevering staat gepland voor 2015.
De marine wil tot 2058 elf Fordklasse schepen bouwen.
Artist impression: Northrop Grumman Newport



In Short the plans for the Ford Class Aircraft Carrier are now a fact and the USS Navy will build 11 of these CVN 78 type schips.
They should be ready near 2058.
This CVN Features a wide range of new technologic systems like:
* A complete new Deck/Airstrip with variouse new systems.
* A new Fully electromagnetic laungh system
* A fully upgraded nucliare engine/powerplant
(I did leave the translation of specific words in dutch because i do not know the english words for it so if you like to know specific details please visit:
Wikipedia


Anyway i was wondering about this because in my believe the Nimitz Class Aircraft Carrier is already one of his kind with no equal.
So if anyone knows the details please let me know i like to know because i like the Aircraft Carrier, The are BIG, They are Deadly and at the same time they are a piece of art.

 

[bd popeye]

Here's some information on the CVN-78 class.

http://www.nn.northropgrumman.com/cvn21/about.html

Design work on the Gerald R. Ford class of aircraft carrier is underway at Northrop Grumman Newport News with the full construction contract anticipated in 2008. Newport News is designing the Ford class using a product model tool called CATIA, the most technologically advanced system in use today in the shipbuilding industry.

Innovations for the Ford class include an enhanced flight deck with increased sortie rates, improved weapons movement, a redesigned island, a new nuclear power plant, allowance for future technologies and reduced manning. These and many other evolutionary new designs are being developed by Newport News engineers to build the most capable aircraft carriers for the U.S. Navy.

Advance construction is beginning in 2005 for the first ship of the class, CVN 78. This advance work will allow shipbuilders to test the design-build strategy before overall construction begins in 2008. Each carrier of the class is valued at approximately $8 billion. On Aug. 11, 2005, Northrop Grumman Newport News hosted a ceremonial steel cut and grand opening ceremony for one of several new facilities that will support Ford class construction. The ceremony was held in the shipyard’s new Heavy Plate Bay.

For more information about the CVN 21(CVN-78) Program and its new facilities, please visit the links below.

• CVN 21 Video

• CVN 21 Facts

• CVN 21 Facilities

Ford Class Design
Northrop Grumman is designing the Ford class using the most technologically advanced systems in the shipbuilding industry:

• CATIA (Computer-Aided Three-Dimensional Interactive Application) - a software package that allows manufacturers to simulate all the industrial design processes, from the pre-project phase through detailed design, analysis, simulation, assembly and maintenance

• CAVE (Computer-Aided Virtual Environment) - a 3D immersive environment tool for viewing certain areas of the CVN 21 CATIA product model and for refinement of the construction strategy

Innovations for the Ford class include:

• Enhanced flight deck with increased sortie rates

• Redesigned island

• New nuclear power plant

• Allowance for future technologies

• Improved weapons movement that will more than double the capacity to produce and deliver smart munitions over that of the Nimitz-class design

• Reduced manning by 30 percent, which correspondingly increases deployment availability by 25 percent

• The largest electrical power production of any ship in the U.S. Navy, greater than two and a half times the electrical power of a Nimitz-class aircraft carrier

• Design costs and new technology insertion are approximately $5.6 billion spread over the class

Hi-res links for the thumbnails;

High Resolution thumbnail 1

High Resolution thumbnail 2

 

[stigmata]

Reduced manning by 30 percent, which correspondingly increases deployment availability by 25 percent

I think this is the most important improvement.

 

[cricha43]

Most likely the biggest selling point to a new administration. Another thing, what is the construction schedule/beginning?

 

[Sea Toby]

The Virginia Pilot, a Hampton Roads newspaper, says 10-31-08. So they started construction a bit more than a month ago. A Nimitz usually took seven years to build, so I would expect delivery during 2015.

 

[Salty Dog]

The largest electrical power production of any ship in the U.S. Navy, greater than two and a half times the electrical power of a Nimitz-class aircraft carrier

Now that will make perfect sense with the new EMALS replacing steam catapaults.