Step Inside the U.S. Navy's New Ford-Class Aircraft Carrier: The Best Ever?

Mike Fabey

Security,

What has changed from the Nimitz-class?

Key point: These new capabilities matter.

The aircraft carrier CVN 78 Gerald Ford has sparked much interest in its technological breakthroughs for launching and recovering aircraft – as well as new systems to cut down on the number of sailors that run the ship and run up the costs of operating the vessel.

But some of the most important mechanic advancements are deep inside the ship – part of the revamped elevator system used to carry bombs, missiles and other aircraft-loaded equipment from the Ford’s bowels to the vessel’s higher decks.

The 10 elevators have to carry up to about 200,000 pounds of weapons from the main deck magazine to the flight deck preparation area, according to Newport News shipbuilders at Hunting Ingalls Industries’ Newport News Shipbuilding unit.

That ship-climbing trek is comparable to going form the basement to the roof of an extremely large city skyscraper, carrying about 100 tons, all within a minute.

Shipbuilders wired the elevator up for more electricity using linear motors, replacing the rope-and-wheel systems that required a great deal more manpower to operate and maintain.

With the new system, shipbuilders say, the elevators can carry two times the weight as the previous system, covering the distance in about third the time. Increasing the carrying power and cutting the operating speed were key in providing the Ford with the quicker sortie rate that has been one of the ships selling points. Getting aircraft on and off the ship at a faster clip means little if the aerial platforms are not properly armed or loaded.

Early success with the new elevator system prompted Newport News to start developing a totally electric elevator system.

The move toward such systems is part of the effort to create more-electric carriers with the Ford-class vessels. Beyond the new operational systems, such as the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS) that replaces the hydraulic launching system with an electromagnetic one, the ship also will rely more heavily on sensors, electronic grids and computer networks than previous carriers.