Credit
U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Ridge Leoni · Public domain · Resized · Public domain · Source ↗ · Modified
FORCETALLY
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At a glance
Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carrierlarger figure on 2 of 2
Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carrierlarger figure on 0 of 2
Measured figures
Length
Single source1,092 ft (333 m) – 1,106 ft (337 m)[source]
Length
Single sourceConfiguration
| Specification | Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carrier | Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carrier |
|---|---|---|
| Crew | About 2,600[source] | — |
| Name | Gerald R. Ford -class aircraft carrier[source] | Queen Elizabeth class[source] |
| Builders | Newport News Shipbuilding[source] | Aircraft Carrier Alliance[source] |
| Operators | United States Navy[source] | Royal Navy[source] |
Counts only measures both sources give with the same scope. A larger figure is not a better system.
Queen Elizabeth class · Length
Single sourcewaterline
Single sourceflight deck
Single source256 ft (78 m) (flight deck) 134 ft (41 m) (waterline)[source]
waterline
Single sourceoverall
Single source39 m (128 ft) waterline 73 m (240 ft) overall
About full load
Single sourceAbout 100,000 long tons (100,000 tonnes) (full load)[source]
Maximum; In excess of
Single sourceIn excess of 30 knots (56 km/h; 35 mph)[source]
Two Bechtel A1B PWR nuclear reactors , HEU 93.5%[source]
2 × Rolls-Royce Marine Trent MT30 gas turbine engine 2 × Wärtsilä 16V38 and 2 x 12V38 marine diesel engines
Single sourceInstalled power
Single sourceTotal
Single source2 × Rolls-Royce Marine Trent MT30 36 MW (48,000 hp) gas turbine engine 2 × Wärtsilä 16V38 and 2 x 12V38 marine diesel engines 40 MW (54,000 hp) Total: 118.4 MW (158,800 hp)[source]
Integrated electric propulsion 4 × GE Power Conversion 20 MW (27,000 hp) Advanced Induction Motors and VDM25000 drives 2 × shafts; fixed pitch propellers[source]
Bars compare reported quantities only. A larger figure does not make a system better; configurations and test conditions differ.
| Preceded by | Nimitz class[source] | Invincible class[source] |
|---|
| Cost | Program cost: US$ 37.30 billion (FY2018) Unit cost: US$12.998 billion (FY2018)[source] | £ 7.6 billion (2019) (equivalent to £ 9.4 billion in 2024) for two units[source] |
|---|
| Built | 2009–present[source] | 2009–2017[source] |
|---|
| In service | 2017–present[source] | — |
|---|
| Planned | 10[source] | — |
|---|
| On order | — |
|---|
| Building | — |
|---|
| Completed |
|---|
| Active |
|---|
| Type | Aircraft carrier[source] | Aircraft carrier[source] |
|---|
| Decks | 25[source] | 16,000 m 2 (170,000 ft 2 ) 9 decks beneath flightdeck with hangar covering the centrepiece of two decks (without islands)[source] |
|---|
| Propulsion | Four shafts[source] | — |
|---|
| Endurance | 50-year service life[source] | — |
|---|
| Sensors & processing systems | AN/SPY-3 Multi-Function Radar (MFR) X band active electronically scanned array (CVN-78) AN/SPY-4 Volume Search Radar (VSR) S band active electronically scanned array (CVN-78) AN/SPY-6(V)3 Enterprise Air Surveillance Radar (EASR) S band active electronically scanned array (CVN-79 and up) AN/SPQ-9B X band surface search radar (CVN-79 and up)[source] | S1850M long-range radar Type 997 Artisan 3D medium range radar Ultra Electronics Series 2500 Electro Optical System (EOS) Glide path camera (GPC)[source] |
|---|
| Electronic warfare & decoys | AN/SLQ-32(V)6 electronic warfare system AN/SLQ-25C Nixie towed torpedo decoys[source] | — |
|---|
| Armament | Surface-to-air missiles : 2 × Mk 29 Guided Missile Launching Systems, 8 × RIM-162 Evolved SeaSparrow Missile (ESSM) each 2 × Mk 49 Guided Missile Launching Systems, 21 × RIM-116 Rolling Airframe Missiles each Guns: 3 × Phalanx CIWS 4 × Mk 38 25 mm Machine Gun Systems 4 × M2 .50 cal. (12.7 mm) machine guns[source] | 3 × Phalanx CIWS 4 × 30-mm DS30M Mk2 guns ( for but not with ) 6 × 7.62 mm Miniguns (retired in 2023 and replaced by 0.5 inch (12.7 mm) Browning heavy machine guns )[source] |
|---|
| Aircraft carried | 75+[source] | 40 aircraft in peacetime 72 aircraft in wartime; typically, F-35B Lightning (Peacetime max of 36) Chinook Apache Merlin HM2, HC4 and Crowsnest AEW Wildcat AH1 and HMA2[source] |
|---|
| Aviation facilities | 1,092 ft × 252 ft (333 m × 77 m) flight deck[source] | Large flight deck with 12º ski jump Hangar deck - 155 m x 34 m x 7 m Two aircraft lifts - 27 m x 15 m - 54,500 kg max load[source] |
|---|
| Country of origin | United States[source] | United Kingdom[source] |
|---|
| In commission | — | 2017–present[source] |
|---|
| Troops | — | 250 to 900[source] |
|---|
| Troop capacity | — | 250 to 900[source]Source-stated capacity; all configurations and qualifiers retained |
|---|