CVN-78 USS Gerald R. Ford (Bld)
CVN-79 USS John F. Kennedy (Bld)
CVN-80 USS Enterprise (Named)

Each of these vessels will carry an airwing of fixed wing aircraft, VSTOL aircraft, helicopters, and unamanned arial vehicles (UAV) that is larger and more powerful than many nation's complete air force. By having the resources, the experience, and the capability to operate 9-10 such vessels (where each vessel is surrounded by an extensive force of other surface and sub-surface combatants that make up each Carrier Strike Group (CSG)), the United States will remain the unchallenged, dominant sea force on earth.

The USS George HW Bush, CVN-77, was christened on October 7, 2006, and replaced the USS Kitty Hawk, CV-63 in 2008. Although officially listed as a Nimitz class carrier, CVN-77 also represents a transformation step in US carrier development from the Nimitz class towards the Ford Class.

Initial steel cutting for the USS Gerald R. Ford was accomplished in August of 2005. The keel laying occurred in late 2009 and the vessel is expected to be launched in 2013 and commissioned in 2015. As of December, 2012, the builder, Huntington Ingalls, announced that the vessel was 90% structurally complete. In January 2013, the new integrated island was lifted onto the deck of the Ford. In April 2013, the foreward bow section was lifted, completing the flight deck and placing the vessel at 96% structurally complete and on track for launch later in 2013. CVN-78 will replace the USS Enterprise, CVN-65, America's first nuclear powered aircraft carrier, which was decommissioned in December 2012.

First steel for the second in class, USS John F. Kennedy, CVN-79, was cut in February of 2011 and she had proceeded to a point where she is now waiting for the yard space that the ford is currently occupying.

The Ford Class carriers are being built by Newport News Shipbuilding (Now Renamed as Northrup Grumman Shipbuilding), which built the USS Enterprise, and all ten Nimitz class carreirs. Among the innovations that the Ford class carriers will introduce are:

• A much more efficent nuclear reactor system providing three times more power.
• Electromagnetic aircraft launch and recovery replacing current steam catapaults and current arrestor systems.
• A redesigned, more efficent, and more stealthy island.
• More automated systems, providing for reduced manpower requirements and more efficent aircraft weapons handling, battle management, and damage control operations.
• Potential exotic defensive weapons systems operating off of the increased electrical power.
• 20% more sortie capability for the embarked airwing.
• 25% more operational availability of the carrier.