The U.S. Navy is considering changing the design of future Gerald R. Ford-class nuclear-powered aircraft carriers after President Donald Trump demanded that the island superstructure be moved closer to the center of the ship to make it resemble aircraft carriers from the World War II era. Defense Express reports this, citing The War Zone, writes UNN.
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The reason for Trump's demand was his dissatisfaction with the appearance of the superstructure. At the same time, its current location has not only an aesthetic but also a functional rationale.
The U.S. Navy spent four years—from 1996 to 2000—working on 75 design options for the future Gerald R. Ford-class carriers before choosing the current configuration. The superstructure was placed approximately 40 meters farther aft than on Nimitz-class ships, and its dimensions were reduced. This made it possible to increase the flight deck area by more than 11%.
This arrangement also improves the conduct of cyclic flight operations and reduces turbulence in the aft section of the ship, making aircraft landings safer.
Because the superstructure is deeply integrated into the carrier's design, moving it would require the reconstruction of systems, communications, and other elements. This could lead to additional costs of billions of dollars and further delays. A single Gerald R. Ford already costs the United States more than $13 billion.
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The program is already behind schedule. The second ship in the series—USS John F. Kennedy—is planned to enter service by the end of 2026, although this was initially supposed to happen back in 2022.
This is not Trump's first demand to change the design of aircraft carriers. Earlier, he advocated replacing modern electromagnetic catapults with steam-powered ones. The additional costs and delays could jeopardize U.S. plans to build ten Gerald R. Ford-class ships.
It is currently unknown which aircraft carrier will receive the modified superstructure. Defense Express suggests that it could be the fourth ship in the series—USS Doris Miller.
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