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''Gerald R. Ford'' class (or ''Ford'' class, previously known as CVN-21 class) is a class of supercarriers currently being built to replace some of the United States Navy's existing ''Nimitz''-class carriers beginning in 2016 when CVN-78 is delivered to the U.S. Navy. The new vessels will have a hull similar to the ''Nimitz'' carriers, but will introduce technologies developed since the initial design of the previous class (such as the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System), as well as other design features intended to improve efficiency and operating costs, including reduced crew requirement. The first ship of the class, , has hull number CVN-78.〔Before its redesignation to ''Ford'' class (CVN-78), the new carrier was known as the ''CVNX'' carrier program ("''X''" meaning "in development") and then as the ''CVN-21'' carrier program. (Here, the "''21''" is not a hull number, but rather it is common in "future" plans in the U.S. military, alluding to the 21st century.)〕〔 〕 ==Features summary== Carriers of the ''Ford'' class will incorporate design features including: * Advanced arresting gear.〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=Carrier Launch System Passes Initial Tests )〕 * Automation, which reduces crew requirements by several hundred from the ''Nimitz''-class carrier. * The updated RIM-162 Evolved Sea Sparrow missile system.〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=Gerald R Ford Class (CVN 78/79) – US Navy CVN 21 Future Carrier Programme - Naval Technology )〕 * AN/SPY-3 dual-band radar (DBR), as developed for the s. * An Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS) in place of traditional steam catapults for launching aircraft.〔 * A new nuclear reactor design (the A1B reactor) for greater power generation. * Stealth features to help reduce Radar cross-section. * The ability to carry up to 90 aircraft, including the Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, Boeing EA-18G Growler, Grumman C-2 Greyhound, Northrop Grumman E-2 Hawkeye, and Lockheed Martin F-35C Lightning II, Sikorsky SH-60 Seahawk helicopters, and unmanned combat air vehicles such as the Northrop Grumman X-47B.〔 The navy believes that with the addition of the most modern equipment and extensive use of automation, it will be able to reduce the crew requirement and the total cost of future aircraft carriers.〔 Covers the costs of the CVN-21 program, how those are calculated, and where the $5 billion savings on operational costs is expected to come from over the ship's planned 50-year lifetime.〕 The primary recognition feature compared to earlier supercarriers will be the more aft location of the navigation island to make aircraft movements more efficient. The ''Ford'' class are intended to sustain 160 sorties per day for 30+ days, with a surge capability of 270 sorties/day, but the Director of Operational Testing Michael Gilmore has criticised the unrealistic assumptions used in these forecasts and has indicated sortie rates similar to the 120/240 per day of the ''Nimitz'' class would be acceptable. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carrier」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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