The US Navy's first-in-class, nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78), entered the eastern Mediterranean last week in support of Israel after the deadly October 7 attack by Palestinian militant group Hamas.

Built on the legacy of today's Nimitz-class aircraft carriers, the Ford-class carrier is the most advanced ship on the sea, ensuring the Navy remains ready for crisis response and early striking power in a major combat operation.

"This is a brand new first-in-class unique weapon system," Carrier Strike Group 12 (CSG-12) commander Rear Adm. Gregory Huffman told USNI News in early March.

The USS Gerald R. Ford is powered by two highly enriched uranium nuclear reactors with four shafts, capable of a top speed of around 30 knots (55.5km/hour).

The carrier, combined with the ships in an accompanying carrier strike group, is capable of conducting a wide range of missions from large-scale combat operations to deterrence and humanitarian assistance, according to the US Navy.

A few days after the USS Ford was deployed to the eastern Mediterranean, the United States sent a second aircraft carrier to the region -- the USS Eisenhower.

This is the first time in recent memory two US aircraft carriers have operated in the same area, and it signals Washington's "ironclad commitment to Israel's security and our resolve to deter any state or non-state actor seeking to escalate this war," Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in a statement October 14.

Lethal combat force

The Ford CSG itself is a lethal combat force capable of overwhelming and defeating adversaries, including by delivering hundreds of missiles using aircraft, ships and submarines.

It is comprised of its flagship and namesake, the Ford-class aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78), Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 8, Destroyer Squadron 2 (DESRON 2) and assigned destroyers, and USS Normandy (CG-60).

USS Normandy is a Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser.

The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers USS Thomas Hudner (DDG 116), USS Ramage (DDG 61), USS Carney (DDG 64) and USS Roosevelt (DDG 80) are deployed alongside the Ford.

The vessels have a hull similar to the Nimitz class but introduce new technologies such as the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS), which provides for more accurate speed control and smoother acceleration, according to the US Navy's All Hands Magazine.

The Advanced Arresting Gear (AAG) System, meanwhile, allows for the recovery (timely and safe removal) of a broader range of aircraft and reduces the fatigue-impact load on the recovered platforms, thus lengthening the aircraft's life cycle.

Other new technologies include advanced weapons elevators (AWEs) that use electromagnetic motors rather than cables and pulleys.

The advanced technology enables fewer sailors to safely move up to 52,800kg of ordnance at 45.7 meters per minute from weapon magazines to the flight deck with unparalleled speed and agility, according to the Navy.

The biggest visible difference from earlier super carriers is the lesser size and the location farther aft of this ship's island, from which flight operations are conducted.

This design allows for more space for flight deck operations and aircraft maintenance, enabling the ship and air wing to launch more aircraft sorties per day, according to All Hands Magazine.

The carrier will accommodate increased sortie rates at 160 sorties a day (compared with 140 sorties for the Nimitz class), with surges to a maximum of 220 sorties a day in times of crisis and intense air warfare, Naval Technology reported in 2020.

Aircraft and weapons

The Ford-class carrier is armed with the RIM-162 evolved Sea Sparrow missile (ESSM), a medium-range, surface-to-air interceptor that defends against high-speed, highly maneuverable anti-ship missiles.

The ESSM also defends against low-velocity air threats, such as drones and helicopters, according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies' Missile Defence Project.

The carrier can carry up to 90 aircraft, including F/A-18E/F Super Hornets, F-35C Lightning II, SH-60 Seahawk helicopters and unmanned combat aerial vehicles.

Other airframes may eventually include the MQ-25 Stingray, the world's first operational, carrier-based unmanned aircraft.

The Stingray provides aerial refueling as well as intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities for the Carrier Strike Group.

The carrier has also installed refueling hoses on the deck and established a fueling area allowing it to launch and recover while simultaneously refueling aircraft.

Given the extra forward deck space, some aircraft such as the E-2D Hawkeye will be able to land, refuel and take off with the crew never leaving the aircraft.