US Navy Ford Class nuclear carriers

Ford Air operations potential :
160 air missions /day for 2/3 days after about 100, Nimitz max 120 can launch with her 4 EMALS 1 aicraft all the 11 sec, Nimitz 20 sec.

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On July 20, 1997, as part of JTFEX 97-2, USS Nimitz with Commander, Carrier Group Seven (CCG-7) and Carrier Airwing Nine embarked began a high intensity strike campaign. When they completed flight operations four days later, they had generated 771 strike sorties and had put 1,336 bombs on target.

The Surge, as it has come to be known, was unprecedented. It demonstrated the entire process required to put bombs on target in a littoral warfare scenario; it incorporated all facets of strike warfare – from weapons buildup in the magazines to bombs on target. In the post-Vietnam era, no other carrier and embarked airwing have ever generated as much firepower in ninety-eight hours.

The Center for Naval Analysis monitored JTFEX 97-2 and carefully studied the scenario described above, which comes from the introduction of this CNA paper

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dated April 1998. “Surge 97″, as it was called, was preceded by six days of an intense, event-driven scenario in which the entire Nimitz battle group conducted offensive and defensive operations. During these six days USS Nimitz and CVW-9 generated about 700 fixed-wing sorties.

Following that six-day period, operations paused for 16 hours, and USS Nimitz and CVW-9 made several preparations for “The Surge” including personnel augmentation, planning augmentation, and replenishment to insure the carrier was fully prepared for the exercise. The resulting average of 192 sorties was touted by the Navy as the benchmark for carrier operations. At the time, this was very important, because naval aviation had taken a hit following the 1991 Gulf War with critics citing low aircraft carrier sortie rates as a reason to reduce the number of aircraft carriers.

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test bd said:

Ahh.. many many..MANY times during high tempo operations aircraft elevators are use to send ordnance to da' roof..been there..done that..I don't care how efficient the Ford class bomb elevators are someday, unfortunately, they will have to do this to get that

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to da' roof..

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JDAM can really ruin your day...no foolin!. great for radical landscaping!

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I don't care how efficient the Ford class bomb elevators are someday

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FORBIN said:

Some interesting datas :

Cats EMALS long of 91 m, weigh 225 t, power 60 MW during 3 sec time for launch are 50% less heavy than actual steam cats C13-2 on Nimitz because removal of large metal pipes vapors circuits and also hydraulic brakes for 4 cats several hundred tons less !
Can launch a aicraft with a weight max of 45 t to 130 kn in general vs 36 t max for C-13-2
but launching speed adjustable 55/200 kn same for AAG adjustable also then saves airframes and wings.

One EMALS can lauch a aircraft all the 45 sec, C13-2 80 sec.

More easy for maintain cost 20% in less as C13-2 and 30 % for maintainers less numerous.

First test with a dead load of 36t seems good.

Problem very expensive to buy, one of the three reasons for the extra cost of Ford with AN SPY 3/4 and AAG. And not finish then Ford is almost ! Total price 13 bill, the last Nimitz the Bush 7 in 2009.

Ford will cost during his 50 years life 27 bill $ vs 32 for a Nimitz ( not including cost of purchase ) because 1 RCOH in less and crew more small.

Ford Air operations potential :
160 air missions /day for 2/3 days after about 100, Nimitz max 120 can launch with her 4 EMALS 1 aicraft all the 11 sec, Nimitz 20 sec.
Have 4 elevator for ammo vs 2 for Nimitz, there are rooms for future UAV operators

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The flow of weapons to the aircraft stops on the flight deck was upgraded to accommodate the higher sortie rates. The ship carries stores of missiles and cannon rounds for fighter aircraft, bombs and air-to-surface missiles for strike aircraft, and torpedoes and depth charges for anti-submarine warfare aircraft.

"Sortie rates for the CVN 21 increased to 160 sorties a day compared with 140 a day for the Nimitz Class."

Weapons elevators take the weapons systems from the magazines to the weapons handling and weapons assembly areas on the 02-level deck (below the flight deck) and express weapons elevators are installed between the handling and assembly areas and the flight deck. The two companies selected by Northrop Grumman to generate designs for the advanced weapons elevator are the Federal Equipment Company and Oldenburg Lakeshore Inc.
The deployment of all-up-rounds, which are larger, rather than traditional weapons requiring assembly will require double-height magazines and store rooms and will also impact on the level of need for weapons assembly facilities.

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test bd said:

Don't all of know that if pressed a Nimitz class can...

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I wonder what a Ford class will be able to do??

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