US Navy’s £10bn aircraft carrier which is invisible to radar and can launch 220 devastating airstrikes a day
The 1,100-ft USS Gerald R Ford is home to 75 fighter jets and has a five-acre flight deck from which it can launch an attack every six minutes
THIS is the US Navy's £10billion state-of-the art battleship which will change the way wars are waged at sea.
The mighty USS Gerald R Ford aircraft carrier is capable of launching 220 airstrikes a day – one every six minutes – and will pack the "biggest punch" on our oceans.
The ship's ability to launch so many airstrikes is thanks to electromagnetic force, which propels the jets forward at incredible speeds.
The Ford will also appear almost invisible to enemy radar detectors and can "steer itself".
The one-of-a-kind navigation system is just one of many hi-tech upgrades aboard the ship that was commissioned into active duty on July 22 after eight years of construction, development and testing.
The 1,100-foot Ford incorporates advanced technology and operational systems that will allow aircraft take off and land more quickly, with a smaller crew and improved chances of survival against attack.
"One primary difference is the crew composition," said the ship's executive officer, Capt. Brent
Gaut. "We've worked a great deal to automise a lot of what we do," he said, highlighting that the Ford maintains a crew of 2,600 sailors - 600 fewer than its predecessors in the Nimitz-class.
"Certainly we've taken a hard look at the technology," said Capt. Gaut, McCormack's second-in-command.
"We are always trying to stay a step ahead of the adversary and I think we've done that with this carrier."
The £13billion US Navy ship was first seen being put through its paces off the coast of Virginia in April.
The ship underwent the first of its sea trials to test its numerous state-of-the-art systems earlier this year.
The aircraft carrier left Huntington Ingalls Industries-Newport News Shipbuilding in Newport News after more than a year in delays and extra costs.
Construction for the Ford, which was projected to set the Navy back by $10billion, started in 2009.
The warship was supposed to be finished in September 2015, but ended up taking over a year and a half longer.
The firm tasked with building the Ford faced issues with its advanced systems and technology, including aircraft landing equipment and power generation.
Nearly 5,000 shipbuilders were involved in the warship’s construction, with the finished product weighing almost 100,000 tonnes.