ford-returns-from-builders-trials

All of the current aircraft carriers are of the Nimitz class for the new Ford carrier has not been turned over to the Navy yet. They have substantial flight operations capabilities. The Congress made it federal law for the U.S. Navy to have 11 carrier groups on hand with it suspended until the Ford gets online but being first in class many problems have to be worked out which one of the biggest problems having to deal with the catapulting system which uses magnets. It has been such a problem that the Navy will use the old style catapults for the next carriers. They are able to generate an impressive amount of electricity and so will be capable of deploying several of the laser weapons that are being developed. The Navy has taken many lumps for the ships it has been bringing online have had their share of problems. The LCS ships which are a type of frigate have had their hulls breaking apart. Hull integrity is mandatory for surface ships. The Zumwalt class destroyers appear to be a force multiplier but its main gun which is an advanced gun system is quite costly to fire but effective against any target. I believe many more of these should be built. The cruisers of the Navy are all being modernized and made ready to go after delayed maintenance broke several of them. I do not know of any coming designs but either go with a new type or build many more of the old with the anti-missile defense system. Missile defense is a great need.

The ability to fight two wars with an ability to defend the homeland was whittled down to 1 major war and a small scuffle somewhere else. I believe the phraseology was something like 1 1/2 wars at once. The armed forces knew that a capability to fight 2 wars at once had to be trimmed out because since the 1990's that was a lost capability.

Thanks for the information SSgt Robert Marx. I love being able to understand more than the headlines and articles tell.

That's what I remembered reading SSgt Robert Marx, I just wish I could remember where I read it, LOL.

It must help that it is also your namesake! The USS Gerald Ford is one capable machine and I am sure the design will serve for the next 50 years. I do not know what would occur if within 25 years such a radical change would happen to naval warfare that the design of today would be unworkable. I suppose in the age of robots and unmanned drones that the face of warfare could drastically be altered. Britain faced that a degree a century ago with their Dreadnaught design making obsolete all prior battleships. They went ahead with the change, the Dreadnaught coming on line in 1906, and British industry increased the weight of Britain's lead. The U.S. Navy today is the most capable navy in the world and would figure out a valid response to naval change.