Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carrier

The Gerald R. Ford class is a class of nuclear-powered aircraft carriers built for the United States Navy to replace portions of the aging Nimitz-class fleet, and is named for former president Gerald R. Ford. The design aims at upgraded weapons systems, improved energy efficiency, lower operating costs and reduced crew requirements. Its key changes are the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System, the Advanced Arresting Gear and a redesigned flight deck, and the ships can carry up to 90 aircraft. Newport News Shipbuilding used a full-scale three-dimensional product model built in Dassault Systemes CATIA V5 to design and plan the construction. The lead ship, USS Gerald R. Ford, was commissioned in 2017, and the second ship, USS John F. Kennedy, is expected to be delivered in 2027.