US Navy's aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford completes flight deck certification.

According to information published by the US DoD on April 5, 2022, F/A-18E/F Super Hornets, E-2D Hawkeyes, and MH-60S Nighthawks assigned to Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 8 conducted operations to prove the ship’s and crew’s capabilities. To achieve certification, Ford conducted more than 400 day and night catapult launches and trap recoveries.
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Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford (Picture source: US DoD)

Prior to getting underway, Ford’s air department was evaluated on its ability to respond to flight deck emergencies and firefighting.

Following flight deck certification, flight operations continued to keep pilots’ carrier qualifications and proficiency current, demonstrating Ford’s contribution to air wing and fleet readiness through capabilities provided by the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launching System (EMALS) and Advanced Arresting Gear (AAG).

Ford will head underway again this month for additional milestone events that will prepare the ship for a scheduled deployment later this year.

USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) is the first of the Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carriers and represents the first major design investment in aircraft carriers since the 1960s. Ford’s flight deck certification and carrier qualifications are part of the basic training phase prior to the ship’s first deployment.

The Gerald R. Ford class has a length of 333 m, a width of 77 m, and a displacement of 100,000 tons and is equipped with AN/SPY-3 and AN/SPY-4 active electronically scanned array multi-function radar.

The armament of the USS Gerald R. Ford-class consists of two RIM-162 ESSM launchers, two RIM-116 RAM, three Phalanx CIWS, and four M2 .50 Cal. (12.7 mm) machine guns.