Manufacturer: Northrop Grumman Newport News [NYSE: NOC]
The United States Navy is undoubtedly the largest and most powerful navy to ever exist. Likewise, the navy currently employs the largest warships ever built, the NIMITZ class aircraft carriers. In fact, the Nimitz class carriers dwarf other nations attempts at aircraft carriers by such a degree that they have been dubbed “super carriers“. With the oldest carrier in the US fleet reaching it’s final years, the USS Enterprise will be replaced by, once again, the largest warship to have ever been built. Construction began this year on the USS Gerald R. Ford, which incorporates decades of naval research into the latest and greatest aircraft carrier design. The Ford Class aircraft carrier will launch its jets, including the newest naval jet the F-35 JSF, from electromagnetic catapults rather than steam catapults. Likewise, the Ford Class carriers will have newer more integrated radar and electronic warfare measures, leaving room for future technology to incorporated into the design such as the yet developed but much hyped naval rail guns. In fact, the nuclear power plant, which houses 2 nuclear reactors, was redesigned to provide 2.5 times the electricity generated by the 2 nuclear reactors in the current Nimitz class aircraft carriers. All in all, the US will retain it’s capability to conduct “gunboat diplomacy” well into the future. Perhaps certain countries will think twice about nuclear weapons when 2 of these aircraft carriers powered by nuclear reactors show up on their coast. Isn’t it ironic? I know that I wouldn’t want one of these bad boys parked in striking distance of my illegal nuclear weapons facilities.
The USS Enterprise Carrier Strike Group, Currently Deployed in the Persian Gulf: NOT BIG ENOUGH!! Trivia fact: The USS Enterprise is actually the aircraft carrier featured in the movie Top Gun.
25 Responses
1988 San Francisco Fleet Day I had the privilege of visiting the USS Ranger CV 61.
They were proud to mention they had been the main star of the movie “Top Gun”.
The credits for “Top Gun” mention this as well.
Posted on October 24th, 2007 at 8:26 am
Hmmm, just look at the hat worn by the ship’s captain in the movie, it clearly says USS Enterprise. Likewise, I got all my info from various web sources, not to mention the movie itself.
Posted on October 24th, 2007 at 12:50 pm
[...] thing is for sure, there is only 1 thing worse than having a US Navy aircraft carrier show up on your coast, and that is having a US Navy Wasp class amphibious attack ship show up [...]
Posted on January 31st, 2008 at 5:54 pm
Where can I get the DVD named CARRIER, recently shown on PBS (Honolulu)?
(I was in NATS in WW-II.)
Posted on April 6th, 2008 at 6:57 pm
Is this the DVD you were referring to? Amazon would be a good place to look.
Posted on April 6th, 2008 at 9:04 pm
Just wait until the Chinese have their Soviet-made Kuznetsov-class aircraft carrier “Shi Lang” operational.
Posted on August 9th, 2008 at 6:46 pm
I’m guessing “Shi Lang” is Mandarin for “target scow”, right?
Posted on August 14th, 2008 at 12:02 pm
The soviet carriers are really kind of lame, on top of the fact that they are extremely old models and are very vulnerable to sub and surface attack, they are also relatively slow compared to actually speed of our carriers, they have no catapult which gives their aircraft a lower survivability on take off, and makes them use more fuel. Plus the strike group with US carriers make them the most formidable force in the world, with the ability to completely annihilate many countries and a carrying capacity larger than many countries aircraft their is no doubt the Ford class carriers will be the finest ship to ever sail the sea.
Posted on November 19th, 2008 at 5:36 pm
Is there a better definition of “peace through strength” than a US Navy carrier strike force?
I think not!
Posted on January 10th, 2009 at 6:35 pm
The US Navy currently has more fighter aircraft than the US Air Force. The military brass sees the need to place the force next to the battle and fortunately for us the commitment to do so in a manner that gives us the highest chance of not just survivability, but air supremacy. Kinda makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand up. How awesome.
Posted on January 11th, 2009 at 12:30 am
Gute Arbeit hier! Gute Inhalte.
Posted on March 2nd, 2009 at 10:16 am
the soviets never had a real carrier ever, they went after submarines now they have a few of those floating around.
Posted on March 12th, 2009 at 6:57 am
Ford the best car
Posted on March 27th, 2009 at 10:24 am
Ford is a good car
Posted on April 2nd, 2009 at 2:08 pm
just a note, considering a US carrier is rarely stationed off a countries coast alone (without another super carrier + another carrier group), any attempt a country makes to create a carrier that is anywhere close to the capacity of one american carrier is moot. Currently in the gulf, there are 3 carriers on station…… so china can build one ship (their surface fleet is laughable in both size ad ability), and i am not worried 20 and i might think they almost stood a chance.
Posted on April 15th, 2009 at 4:53 am
from a guy who did time in the air force, the saying is, “second to none” always have been a navy fan. Always look for peace, always lend a helping hand and nothing wrong with that, but make sure that other hand is a fist just in case! Nothing better to have a navy emblem on that fist………go Navy go!!!!
Posted on May 7th, 2009 at 10:05 pm
oh yeah, it’s all very impressive, no doubt, but these buckets still couldn’t stop the US & A from getting its ass well and truly whooped in good ole Viet-nam! Hot damn!
Posted on August 12th, 2009 at 1:11 pm
If you go to goggle earth, you can find the old soviet navy sitting as a rust bucket, including nuclear subs!
Posted on September 21st, 2009 at 3:20 am
To be clear, the USS Ranger was never featured in ‘Top Gun’. You may have your Paramount-made 1986 movies confused. ‘Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home’ had to shoot it’s carrier scenes aboard the USS Ranger in San Diego (which substituted for the Enterprise) because the Big-E was out to sea and unavailable for filming at the time.
Posted on May 17th, 2010 at 1:38 am
Our armed forces are the best in the world–GO NAVY! But don’t underestimate the Chinese and the new carrier they are building, are they coming to the party late, yes but the Chinese are consummate planners, patient in the extreme, persistent, talented and driven. (Of course so are most of our people.) The real selling point of new navy ships, carriers or otherwise, will be a rail gun system…a carrier and its task force are no good if they are the bottom of the sea and the critical ability to track and remove hostiles from the air or sea (in the form of cruise missiles, etc.) is going to be key. The USS Gerald Ford looks to be an awesome ship and the technology updates look to be quite impressive, especially the new catapault system.
I love this country!
Posted on May 25th, 2010 at 5:40 pm
us af employment
Posted on June 22nd, 2010 at 12:14 am
Just to mention a few things. I deeply believe that we the US have the most impressive Navy in the world. I’m a Navy Submarine Vet and I can tell you this!!! Do not discount the Chinese, that would be a very costly mistake. The Ford looks great on paper, but I have worked on a Grumman Navy project before, and it’s still tits up right now, and that project started in 2000! I hope it all works out that we just build’em and never have to use ‘em.
Posted on July 9th, 2010 at 3:16 am
Shi Lang means reviewed at the bottom of the sea after combat bit like the Argentine Air Force in 82
Posted on July 15th, 2010 at 7:23 am
Sad and not enough money for universal health care-the price of empire
Posted on July 20th, 2010 at 11:03 pm
Shi Lang is the name of the admiral (?) that conquered Taiwan in the 1600’s, btw.
Top Gun was filmed on the Ranger. The overhead shots were surely the Enterprise, but no actual filming took place on her.
Posted on August 30th, 2010 at 5:18 am
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