I had the honor of serving my country as a Civilian 1st Class Structural Welder (X18) in the construction of this Modern Marvel. My Blood, Sweat & Tears are in thousands of welds, all over this Aircraft Carrier! I have many permanent scars and burns from welding this ship, I would never change it for the world!!!! Proud to be a part of such a monumental project!!!! I got to see the Island house set before my Contract ended. Very Blessed to have the opportunities I have had in my 25 year professional welding career. 1st Class Structural Civilian Welder, Newport News Ship Building 2010 - 2011.
Man. Wish I was able to work one of these. Bet you made around 120-150k a year for YEARS! Must feel good to know your welds is going to help our military 🇺🇲
Unfortunately the video is not all of the Gerald R Ford carrier. notice those f-14s they have been retired almost 20 years ago. there is a lot of stock footage.
The US military is just unbelievable. Russia is nothing like the US. They have about half the population but do not even have a fraction of the same strength. Russia should focus more on economic bonding like joining the EU (never gonna happen) or something.
I would totally recommend taking a tour of one of these things. I went on the USS Midway in San Diego and it was so unbelievably huge, the interior felt like a maze
@Wacko Jacko If anyone you should be thanking Obama, since it was formally constructed from 2009 to mid 2017, so its construction budget was mostly managed during the Obama administration.
@@phil20_20 well a football field is roughly 4 school busses long, and that’s at least 60 small kiddie pools so... I just wish there was a simpler unit of measure hey
Wow, there are SO many things you got wrong in this video. Also, love the mix of shots from other carriers that weren't the Ford as well. So, here's a quick list of clarifications, from a former carrier sailor: 1. There are NOT 25 decks. 2. Weapons are stored in magazines below decks, NOT in the hangar bay. 3. Sea Sparrows are missiles, not the CIWS guns that were shown. 4. The reactors aren't controlled from the bridge, but from further down. 5. That physical steering wheel is the primary controlling station. Backups are below deck and locally at each steering gear engine. 6. The navy doesn't let ships drive themselves (especially after the 7th fleet collisions) and the touchscreens are for reference only. NOT autopilot. 7. The crew of the first ship of any class is learning how to operate the ship- that's nothing new. 8. Ships have had designated berthing (sleeping/ resting areas) for a very long time. 9. The boxing ring isn't a full-time amenity, but is set up occasionally by the Morale, Welfare, and Recreation department (MWR). The picture shown is at a gym on a shore base. 10. There's not a dedicated chapel- that's the ship's fo'c'sl, where religious ceremonies have been held on carriers for decades. 11. A basketball court is set up from time to time, like the boxing ring, and isn't a permanent thing. Plus, you REALLY don't want to play basketball or any other contact sport on the nonskid that the hangar and flight decks are covered with. 12. That "posh conference room" is the Captain's cabin, the exception, NOT the norm. 13. The crew spends long periods of time at sea getting ready for deployment as it is- we call that "work ups."
Thanks for the clarifications. Some were obvious, such as seeing the wrong carrier number, #76 (USS Ronald Reagan) at 0:30. Also, it seemed wildly impractical to have the backup steering in the (vulnerable) tower With ~250 feet above the water line and quite a few feet below, to the '25 decks' seemed possible, even though the hangar is probably ~25 feet
@@gregparrott Reagan was actually my ship (I'm a plankowner). As for the decks, that's pretty easy to find with a very simple Google search. The hangar deck is the main deck and is less than 25' above the water, and the flight deck, 4 levels above the hangar bay, is ~68' above the water.
@@tspencer227 Good to know - Thanks I'm sure that engaging with a ship at such an early stage offers better insight and appreciation than other crew members..
I would definitely spend time on an aircraft carrier, including the USS Ford at sea during full operations. I grew up on US Air Force bases and later served as an airman in a combat zone, too. Carrier operations fascinate me, because they do everything at sea that I saw for decades on land, as I was an Air Force brat, too.
It's not as glam as it seems. I was an Air Traffic Controller on the USS Ranger and my Captain was Dan Pederson who was one of the Founders of TOP GUN. I once told him I didn't like being out there away from my family for 8 months and he said, none of want to be out here son. Very great man.
I love this carrier so much and I’m so glad I bought it. I wasn’t too sure after reading the reviews but I’m so glad I got it. After wearing it a few times I am very pleased with how comfortable it is! It felt a little bulky at first but I tightened the strap across my shoulder blades as tight as it will go and now it’s very comfy. The straps are very padded and baby loves it and is comfy as well!!
If I were to make a U.S Naval decision I will follow two basic principle. 1. Do not put all your eggs in one basket. 2. Follow the original U.S military KISS principle which is Keep It Simple Stupid. With $13 billion dollars I will go for several dozens of nuclear powered SMALL CARRIERS and each is equipped with several tens of dozens anti-missile defenses and anti-upercavitating torpedo defenses and carrying a dozen squadrons of VTOL and STOL all weather fighter bombers as tough as the A-10 that can take tons upon tons of punishment and can still carry on with the mission, finish the mission, and go back to their respective carriers after the mission with the pilots UNHARMED.
$13 billion dollars and 8 years of building it. Only to be sunk in the future in some future war by a Russian hypersonic missile and by a Russian supercavitating torpedoes VA-111 Shkval (from Russian: шквал, squall) each worth less than a quarter million dollars. Is that a positive return of investment? Taxpayers money down the drain!
@@darthvader5300 you do realize russia Navy isn’t even a fraction of what America has right? Their measly 1 aircraft carrier 1 of which had to be towed to shore because it had broken down mid sale hahah compared to America’s 10+ large nuclear carriers. Their small naval fleet won’t even stand a chance in the wake of a war in water. You’re truly delusional if you genuinely think that would happen. A country with a dying economy where their current keeps plummeting in worth against a country constantly progressing. Go watch some more RT videos 😂. This clown genuinely thinks Russia really has a chance in a war on water against the country with the strongest navy BY FAR xD. Do your research clown. Or just watch more Putin compilations and praise him for changing to the constitution so he can be president for another 16 years 😂
@@James-pz4sh yeah but you realize there is literary 0 deterrent to a hypersonic missile? You can have 4000 super carriers but if a single missile can sink your ship in seconds from launch, it doesn’t matter
@@cardinality1975 right and you think a the strongest air force and navy in the world is gonna worry about a missile? You people don’t understand what the words super power because you haven’t actually loved to see an actual war. What are they gonna do when a jet Thats capable of carrying a nuclear bomb that is traveling so fast that it can’t be spotted on their radar? If you really went to get theoretical we could. Although it won’t make much sense because the US military is more advanced and more capable than any other country in the world. A country with a significantly larger economy vs a country who’s economy is getting worse by the year and who’s currency is losing worth as years pass will truly suffer more severely than the US.
Its sister the Kennedy is currently fitting out...while a third one Enterprise is under construction...when Enterprise launches in 2025...a fourth ship Miller will be laid down....Each is expected to serve 50 years.
Todays crews have it easy. My Carrier life was much different than today. Both carriers I was stationed on are both gone. I still miss my time on them and would like to take a Tiger Cruise on the Gerald Ford. I’m 84.
When I was 7 years of age, I had the honor to board the U.S.S. Enterprise CVN-65. I have also taken a cruise on a cruise ship weighing in at 110,000 tons, 10,000 tones larger than the Ford class. There were 3500 passengers, and crew on board. My point, though there were that many on board, it didn't seem crowded, because everyone was spread out on more than 25 decks. So, I would imagine with some 5000, or more, stationed aboard the Ford class would feel about the same. So, yes I would be honored board her. Great video! Thank you for sharing. 😊👍👍
In the late 70's I served on the Enterprise for 11 months on a Westpac tour. I know what carrier life is like. Being in the middle of the ocean watching the horizon go up and down. Seeing a flying fish, and a porpoise I believe it was, jumping between two of our ships.
I'm actually working on the next carrier in the class right now. I worked on the USS Enterprise and Now the Kennedy and its amazing how far they've come
I did my first 4 Years in the Navy aboard The USS Nimitz CVN68 (1983-1987) and I remember how amazed I was as a 19 year Old seeing her for the first time at Pier 12 Norfolk Ocean Base. This is much more Capable and "User Friendly" I remember how happy we were when we got a Actual Pac Man arcade game on the Mess Decks.
During WWII, off of Okinawa, the Essex class aircraft carrier Bunker Hill, with its flight deck and hangar deck full of fully armed and fueled aircraft was struck by two Japanese Kamikaze aircraft that ignited a mass conflagration.....Legend has it that the Captain of the Bunker Hill put her in a sharp turn that heeled the decks and dumped the burning fuel, ordnance and melting aluminum aircraft over the side into the ocean....Over five hundred brave crewmembers perished in this horrific firestorm. Say a prayer for those in peril on the sea.
A bit of info. Weaponry and ordnance are not stored in the hangar bay, they are stored in magazines due to high traffic in the hangar bay as this is where sailors and marines work out
a bit of info....they are stored below decks in magazines as the decks, and bulkheads are design to deflect, resist, and or retain some integrity in the event of an attack or another McCain is on board. Not to mention the weight this represents. Keep the weight low and it only comes up when there's a fireworks show about to begin.
@@romell06 No, they don't. In fact since the creation of the supercarrier, no US carrier has even used the panama canal for decades. As such they have to go around. Panama has been working on this for some time as ships continue to get larger.
Size isn't really an issue....it would be what point would there be. The key element for a carrier is launching jets...in your face...See Desert Storm....As any good sailor will tell you size is not as important as ability to use it.
They wouldn’t want their carrier to be in such a vulnerable position as the suez. No room to manoeuvre, no room for its escorts, it’s a giant sitting duck.
Not only the existence and presence of 100,000 tons of american technology and science; but also the love and pride, of their people, Navy and not Navy...!!! It's just great...!!!
The United States' Navy has almost 100 years of experience with naval aviation including many wars. Imagine all of the lessons that have been learned!!!!
i was sttioned in 2 aircraft carrier a total of 9yrs but was not able to get get into all the areas, w/c some requires top secret & nuke qualification. you will be amazed that most the crews were able to adjust easily on having 3-4 hrs sleep everyday, for the whole time of being at sea… what an experienced!!!!!!
@@vitsadelhole So nothing. Because the military expenditures are cannibalizing the US economy. So the empire is in a process of decay. Which means that the days of its hegemony, luckily for all of us, are numbered.
Airplanes manufacturing is helping us understand how carbon fiber is stainless steel strong. For such Aircraft carriers it might be saved the defence equipment but then, all other rooms they might be like...cruising ships areas for fun & shopping...double long lanes on the top as best floating highway fragments to be tied like chains and .. ultimate works within six months.. think about it fans Ok? I am your biggest supporter guys
I did a combat cruise on the Connie in ‘73. We lost ten guys on that cruise and only ONE could be considered combat related. We had one drug over dose, one alcohol poisoning, and one heart attack. The rest were normal flight deck/engineering accidents.
I think the F-14s were the sexiest aircraft ever built. They may not fair all that well against 5th gen fighters but they could splash Japanese Zeros at will....
This ended up being closer to the truth than I thought it’d be but still got a lot wrong. Currently serving aboard CVN77 and 78 is our neighbor in port. We also have plenty of TAD sailors from 78. She’s cool, definitely the next step up. We already also have 79 in the works and 80 is having her haul being constructed. I’d love to serve on 80 in like 10 years when she’s done. By then we’ll know what it takes to sail the Ford class. Plus the Enterprise name holds so much navy history
I'm not a fan of naming carriers after presidents, I would prefer they are named after States, Historical Ships or Medal of Honor Recipiants for the Navy.
When a missile worth 200k can easily penetrate an aircraft carrier, what is the point of building this massive infrastructure with a gigantic budget of 17B? I can't see any real benefit except power projection!
And it would be extremely difficult to hit this carrier with even a high tech missiles at the United States possesses. China is basically Third World secondhand technology rehashed from old Soviet designs. China is afraid along with Russia. These countries know that the United States has a global warfare logistical advantage being that the US has over 800 military bases scattered throughout the world in the most strategic ares. The US has the supply lines and front line weapons already existence and in place for a Third World War. That’s why the Soviet union fell. That’s why there has not been a Third World War. After World War II the United States got busy and took the advantage. The nuclear powered super carriers such as the Nimitz were designed to fight a global superpower that was the Soviet Union. Even the Soviet union at its height of power understood it could not compete with United States technology and military power. Power projection comes last on the list when it comes to these carriers. They were built so that the United States could bring the airport for fighters and bombers to the enemies doorstep. It’s like a traveling Air Force. Think of it as a floating traveling Air Force on water that can reach speeds a 42 knots.
@@blueboltstrike6705 (1) probably you are not familiar with history. Let me tell you from a neutral point of view because I don’t belong to these countries you mentioned. Probably, your media hid the real power of USSR. When they are 20 times less powerful and one of the poorest country of Europe they have beaten mighty Hitler though they lost 20 million Russians. Watch some old interview of ex CIA operatives. You could see they have immense respect for what is called ‘comprehensive correlation of forces’ and ‘guerrilla warfare’. But, you are fed up with wrong impression that USA could beat USSR? Come on buddy. USA could not defeat Vietnam, even Iraq, Afghanistan. Forget about these. USA could not defeat Fidel Castro, who was maybe 10000 times less powerful. Except very small country USA never won a war. Probably you are misinformed or misled by anglo-saxon media rhetoric! (2) Now, let’s come to the present day power. There is no comparison of US navy in the blue waters. However, if they need to fight in the coastal line they are in great disadvantage because of ICBM, laser guided missile which changes trajectories and can easily take down any mighty carrier. Secondly, build cost and maintenance cost of the carrier is astronomical. They are liability for other countries which do not want to invade other countries. USA needs this because USA is a hegemony in the globe. The narrative in support of aircraft carrier is built to advance the agenda and monetary profit of the military industrial complex at the expense of the tax payers money and poor people. (3) USA never fought alone. They always needed ally to support them. Because they are weak. (4) During cuban missile crisis USSR needed to stop importing missile in Cuba in return USA needed to withdraw all its missile from turkey. While you are informed about the first news hut the second news was not informed by the western media for domestic and political reason. (5) Ask USA navy to even enter in the Taiwan straight or black sea if they have guts to do that.
@@blueboltstrike6705 This is the problem. You tried giving logic first, which is good, but you started rubbish when you are unable to counter. I never had the intention for a personal attack. I wanted to have a civil conversation with logic. But it seems that you are a half-educated western imperialist with substandard qualities who never passed an 8th-grade history or reasoning. Probably, you don’t deserve a civil discourse but let me try. Let me give some historical facts, statistics, and logic that are probably beyond you. (1) From year 1-1820, the largest economies were always those of India and China, accounting for more than 50% of global GDP. It is only in the last two hundred years the western power dominated the world. Therefore, in the backdrop of 2000 years, the past 200 years are major historical aberration which is coming to an end with the return of Asian power including India and China. In GDP (PPP) terms, China, India, and Japan come within the top 4. So, in simple words, you are rich today because your ancestors were thieves who looted and stolen India and China, and the whole world. There is nothing to be proud of or celebrate here! When Asians were 100 times more powerful (even in 1600 or 1700 AD), they did not even invade you. If they had a 1% superiority complex like you have shown in your comment, your ancestors could not even see this world. But that was not in our DNA to invade and conquer others. We always believed in coexistence. (2) Coming to the present-day scenario, within the next 20 years, 70% of economic growth will come from Asia. (3) Only 12% of people live in the west against 60% in Asia. India and China together produce more than 50% of doctors, engineers, scientists in the world. What is the number of the west? (4) Regarding the royal Navy. LOL! What are you smoking? Stop using a cheap brand. Forget about the whole of India, even if India sends Sikh, Gorkha, and Jath regiment, all Britain could be conquered. Jokes apart! Don’t forget the 1971 Bangladesh liberation war. India defeated USA-UK-France alongside Pakistan, China, Turkey, Iran, and Jordan combined attack badly with the much-needed help of the USSR. US sent their seventh fleet and USS Enterprise in the Bay of Bengal alongside British royal Navy France, Iran, Turkey, and Jordan provided air support. A third-world country with critical support from USSR not only humiliated you all but made you flee from the Bay of Bengal. I am not making this up. These are historical account which you can check out. The moral of the story is that A BATTLE is always fought with bravery, resilience, perseverance, determination, strong morale, and purpose, where the role of infrastructure is limited. That is why you could not defeat Vietnam, Afghanistan, Iraq, or Cuba except some handful of an island nation like Papua New Guinea, LOL. Forget about big nations like INDIA, CHINA or Russia, or Iran! Btw, India has the 4th strongest military after China, the USA, and Russia. And stop thinking the UK is a superpower, they are not, and nobody cares about that! (5) President Nixon wrote a letter to Indian PM Jawaharlal Nehru that do not invade Goa in 1962. Within one day, India freed GOA from the Portuguese invaders in the face of western imperialism and economic blockade. (6) Regarding the USSR and Stalin. Again all these rhetorics and propaganda are the old cold trick which Anglo-Saxon media propagate and amplify to the world and never presented any evidence just like they are doing with the Chinese Uighur population in the name of human rights. In the last 140 years, the USA fought 122 wars. How many people have they killed with military invasion, CIA-sponsored coup, indirect intervention, economic blockade in addition to direct war? Did not these have human rights? What about the racial injustice to the black Americans? The USA is the greatest threat to not only democracy worldwide but also to the whole human civilization all along. The USA is now a highly polarized society with rich vs. poor, white vs. black, citizen vs. immigrant sub ensembles. (7) Regarding the space race! What engine the most powerful rocket of the USA, the ATLAS V use? It is Russian, brother! How do you guys even travel to the international space station in the last ten years? That too with Russian rocket Soyuz! NASA and SpaceX use the Russian liquid-fueled RD-180 engine to date, the best currently flying in space. The USA surpasses USSR in space casualty also. Just count the casualties of challenger and Columbia, which surpasses the following ten countries combined. (8) It is in your long-term interest to stop these nonsense and change your course of action and rhetoric to be even relevant in coming decades. Do not invade other countries in the name of democracy and human rights when actually what you want is to steal and loot natural resources like oil and gas and rare earth elements for your corporations. WEST is in irresistible decline, and global power is again shifting towards the east. CHANGE YOUR ATTITUDE. We learned many things from the west. Now WEST should replicate the same.
The West is in Decline clearly don't know what you're talkin about I would match the accomplishments of Western Civilization against anybody's freedom of speech freedom of religion freedom of assembly all these ridiculous Concepts to your way of thinking a Gifts of Western Civilization
I remember going aboard the USS Enterprise in about 1968 (I was 13 years old at the time) for lunch (my uncle was galley officer). At that time it was the largest ship in the world.
It’s been delivered to the navy yet still not operational. They’ve run into so many problems that they’re predicting it won’t see combat for years, apparently.
What matters most is protection. How do you keep such a big target like that from being hit? If an enemy fires enough missiles at it at one time one of them is going to get through. An EMT burst will make that thing helpless. Let’s hope it will never actually have to be used in battle.
@@nole8923 that’s why the carriers are always surrounded by a strike group, all of which have missile protection weapons, and electronic jamming system. In the case of the Ford it won’t matter if they have ciw systems or a strike group to protect it because a carrier without planes is just a massive bullseye, I don’t care how “advanced” it is. The whole idea of modern carrier warfare is to have the mobility to be anywhere in the world to level any threat we decide, and as far as modern protection, the thought is to destroy the enemy’s missiles while still on the ground there by gaining air superiority and water supremacy. If the enemy does get missiles off the strike group is supposed to be able to disrupt and destroy any aircraft or missile that make that far. Can an enemy launch enough missiles to get through? Yeah, they can and it’s always a risk of that happening. No ship can ever be completely immune to missiles, guns or whatever that’s the point of war. Just look at the iron dome missile defense system Israel recently had to use, hamas launched thousands of missiles and maybe a dozen got through, statistically speaking that an amazingly successful weapon defense system, the only problem in the naval setting is a dozen missiles getting through usually means the you have heavy damage or a sinking ship.
They actually have to launch their jets with about 300 feet of deck. An angled deck allows for launching from 2 different angles. Each consisting of about 300 feet.
I would happily step on board this ship but unfortunately I couldn't do it to age. I'm 31 I am told that I am not allowed to become a part of any navy. My dream was to be on an aircraft carrier! But I'd be happy just to learn everything. Learning everything means a lot to me because I just love to learn !!
IMPOSSIBILITIES IN THE WORLD : 1. You can't count your hair. 2. You can't wash your eyes with soap . 3. You can't breathe when your tongue is out . ( Put your tongue back in because you have become fool ).
I saw three stills of the sailors bunk beds. I can't be bothered to rewind and put in a timestamp, but the first still was taken on a Royal Navy ship. I'm ex RN so I recognise the style well. It's a good enough vidio, but when you see mistakes such as this you think... what else did they make up, how can we believe what we see.
13 billion.....and that also included the planning operations and massive changes....for the following carriers. As to one ( 1 ) hypersonic missile...it still has to go through a wall of lead....and when your balls are hanging from your chin...that can hurt.
@@kudzaim5434 a DEW meant for shooting down missiles shoots a pulse for about 1 quadrillionth of a second and can retarget almost instantly, an aircraft carrier will have multiple DEW systems on board along with many anti-missile support ships, now ignoring the fact that there is no working and deployed version of a hypersonic missile it doesn't really matter how many are sent bc at this point it would be almost impossible to send enough to over well a carrier strike groups defenses especially as more ships get fitted with bigger faster and more DEW systems
The only thing more impressive than flight ops on the ship is night flight ops on the ship. Thanks to all now serving, those who have, and those who will in the future. FLY NAVY!!!
The tech is always changing. Ships are being upfitted in Norfolk constantly. I personally like the bigger quarters for SpecOps. I’m not understanding your premise.
Military equipment are not outdated in 2-10 years, even the most advance us tank m1 abrams is designed in 1971, also us airforce is still operated B-51 from vietnam war
All that is needed to do is update the technologies. You sounded like the whole ship is going to be useless after 3 years. Do you know that most of the US aircraft carriers that are still operating are over 50 years old. And China’s Liaoning doesn’t even have a quarter of their capabilities.
Wow that new catapult certainly has been trouble for them. It was interesting to see it adapted for aircraft but I guess making the stretch from launching roller coasters to planes at sea is pretty big.
