The Navy christened its newest, most efficient carrier which will join the fleet in 2016. The USS Gerald R. Ford is the prime ship in the next fleet of aircraft carriers in the Navy. This represents the first new aircraft carrier design in more than four decades.

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image via Wikipedia

The USS Gerald R. Ford is named after President Gerald R. Ford, who served on the carrier USS Monterey during World War II. Gerald R. Ford later became president of the US after President Richard Nixon resigned in the wake of Watergate scandal.

According to CNN, one of the things the ship will be able to do is to launch jets faster than previous carriers and will need fewer crew members. This will save the country about $4 billion over the next 50 years (the Ford is expected to survive until 2057).

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 image via Wikipedia

“She will carry unmanned aircraft, joint strike fighters, and she will deploy lasers.” Said Jonathan Greenert, who is Chief of Naval Operations Administration in a webcast ceremony at the Newport, “She is truly a technological marvel.”

Layout Of USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier

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image via militaryphotos.net

The ship is indeed a classic example of a technological marvel as it features state-of-the-art naval architecture and is nuclear powered. The ship will use electromagnetic force to propel planes off the deck instead of the pressurized steam used in today’s fleet. It also features an arresting gear that grabs planes when they land. Moreover, the gear will be software controlled so as to prevent wear and tear on the planes.

The sponsor of the ship is the former Ford’s president daughter, Susan Bales Ford. She also had the duty of performing the ceremonial breaking of the bottle of American sparkling wine into the ship.

In her speech, the daughter of the former president said that she hopes that future sailors will show the integrity her father showed in his time of public office. “Dad, their message fills this shipyard. You kept your promise. You healed the nation. You gave the American people a president that was a shining beacon of integrity at the helm,” she said. The keynote speech was delivered by Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich.

(main image via militaryphotos.net)