On July 22, 2017, the U.S. Navy commissioned USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78). The ship is the first new design for an aircraft carrier since the USS Nimitz (CVN 68). USS Gerald R. Ford is equipped with two newly designed reactors and has greatly increased electrical capacity over its predecessors, and features an Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS), electromagnetic Advanced Arresting Gear, and electromagnetic weapons elevators, allowing the ship to load weapons and launch aircraft more quickly and efficiently. The ship’s “island” superstructure has been completely redesigned, and incorporates the latest technology in flat panel array radar systems and dual band radar. It has also been positioned farther aft by 140 feet. The flight deck of CVN 78 has also been completely redesigned, resulting in a 25 percent increase in the launch and recovery area for aircraft. Another significant difference is that the carrier has three aircraft elevators instead of four.
