The largest warship in the world, and the US Navy’s newest and most technologically advanced aircraft carrier, crossed the Atlantic for its first operational deployment in 2022. What was it like to sail the high seas on a floating airbase?
The Ford is the largest and most powerful ship in NATO’s maritime arsenal. The first in a new class of super carriers, the Ford uses electromagnetic catapults to launch jets, breaking with the steam-powered system used by carriers for decades. This new system requires fewer sailors to operate, and its power levels can be calibrated for specific aircraft, leading to less wear and tear and lower long-term maintenance costs.
Sailing from Halifax, Canada – its first foreign port of call – the Ford took part in exercise Silent Wolverine, a series of drills off the coast of Portugal involving 11 ships from six NATO Allies. During the exercise, the Ford launched and recovered strike fighters, surveillance aircraft, electronic warfare aircraft and helicopters while coordinating with ships from Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, the Netherlands and Spain. Working together in a multinational carrier strike group, the drills gave NATO Allies a chance to see the Ford in action and familiarise themselves with its systems.
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