After The Cold War
When the Cold War ended in 1991, the U.S. Navy had conventionally powered carriers from the classes Midway, Forrestal, and Kitty Hawk active, along with the USS John F. Kennedy; and the nuclear carriers Nimitz class and the USS Enterprise; however, all of the conventional carriers have been decommissioned. Construction of the Nimitz class continued after the Cold War, and the last Nimitz class carrier was commissioned in 2009.
The next class of supercarriers—the Gerald R. Ford class—is planned to launch the first ship in 2015. The new carriers will be stealthier, and feature A1B reactors, electromagnetic catapults, advanced arresting gear, reduced crew requirements, and a hull design based upon that of the Nimitz class. Ten carriers are planned for the Gerald R. Ford class.
| Designation | Class | Ships | Active | Description | Lead Ship |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CVN-78 | Gerald R. Ford |
|
(2015 planned) | The next generation supercarrier for the United States Navy. Carriers of the Ford class will incorporate many new design features including a new nuclear reactor design, stealthier features to help reduce radar profile, electromagnetic catapults, advanced arresting gear, and reduced crewing requirements. The Ford class uses the basic hull design of the preceding Nimitz-class. Ten ships are currently planned for the Gerald R. Ford class. |
Read more about this topic: List Of Aircraft Carrier Classes Of The United States Navy
Famous quotes containing the words cold and/or war:
“The cold smell of potato mould, the squelch and slap
Of soggy peat, the curt cuts of an edge
Through living roots awaken in my head.
But I’ve no spade to follow men like them.”
—Seamus Heaney (b. 1939)
“... it is a commonplace that men like war. For peace, in our society, with the feeling we have then that it is feeble-minded to strive except for one’s own private profit, is a lonely thing and a hazardous business. Over and over men have proved that they prefer the hazards of war with all its suffering. It has its compensations.”
—Ruth Benedict (1887–1948)