SS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier is Gerald R. Ford class aircraft carriers first ship, started construction on August 11, 2005, was officially launched on November 9, 2013, and entered service on July 22, 2017. It is the largest aircraft carrier in the United States and even the world. This class of aircraft carrier is planned to build 10 by 2058, making it the first aircraft carrier in the US Navy to use electromagnetic catapult systems, replacing the Nimitz class as the new backbone of the US Navy fleet.
The Ford aircraft carrier is equipped with two sets of RIM-162 ESSM missiles, two sets of RIM-116 RAM missiles, two sets of dense array close range defense weapon systems, and the MK-38 25mm remote-controlled machine gun system.
The carrier based aircraft models carried on the Ford are F-35C fighter jets, F-18E/F fighter jets, E-2C/D airborne early warning aircraft, SH-3G/H or SH-60F helicopters, and the plan is to carry the MQ-25 unmanned refueling aircraft.
