Desertfalcon
PROFESSIONAL
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- Jun 14, 2009
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The USS Gerald R. Ford, the first of ten of her class, is now complete and will be commissioned to join the fleet in just over a month. Starting in 2017 her air wing will be equipped with the F-35 fighter. These carriers will eventually replace all the current Nimitz-class flattops. Her namesake, our 38th president, served as an air defence gunnery officer aboard the carrier USS Monterey during WWII. Her state-of-the-art technology means that although she is slightly bigger than the Nimitz-class flattops she will require 600 fewer crew. She also boast more modern nuclear reactors, electric drive as opposed to steam turbines, magnetic catapults, and the latest in anti-aircraft and antimissile defences.