In September, 2015, if all goes well, Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding will deliver CVN-78, the first of a brand-new class of nuclear-powered aircraft carriers, to the U.S. Navy.
The keel for this new giant was laid in September 2009, and it is expected to move from drydock to water in July 2013. The new carrier is both named the Gerald R. Ford and is the first Gerald R. Ford class of aircraft carrier. It breaks new technological ground for the Navy because it has a new power plant design, a brand-new Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System, and a reduced weight and flexible infrastructure enabling the addition of new technology down the line.
