Largest warship
- Who
- USS Gerald R Ford
- What
- 333 metre(s)
- Where
- United States (Newport News)
- When
- 22 July 2017
The US Navy’s USS Gerald R Ford (CVN79) is the largest aircraft carrier and largest warship in the world. Built by Newport News Shipbuilding and commissioned on 22 July 2017, it displaces over 100,000 tons at full load on overall dimensions of 333 by 78 m (1,092 by 256 ft). It can carry upwards of 75 aircraft and uses a new electromagnetic launch system. Two nuclear reactors drive steam turbines and four shafts for a speed of over 30 knots (56 km/h; 35 mph). Its maximum crew of 4,539 persons is some 700 less than the preceding Nimitz class. John F Kennedy (CVN80), second of a proposed class of 10, is due to be commissioned in 2024.
The decommissioned USS Enterprise (CVN65) was longer at 1,122 feet. A new Enterprise is due to join the fleet in 2028 and Doris Miller in 2032.