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The nuclear-powered aircraft carrier may be one of the greatest combined arms ever developed. The USS Gerald R. Ford, commissioned in 2017, is the latest and greatest addition to the United States' naval arsenal.

A top-secret pair of nuclear reactors power the ship, meaning fuel concerns do not limit its range. It travels with a fleet of support and defense vessels whose mission is to service and protect the $13 billion craft and its crew of over 4,500 sailors. At 1,092 feet long and weighing 90,000 tons, it seems impossible that the Navy ship even floats .



But its not just the ship's dimensions, scale, and cost that drops jaws. The power a modern nuclear aircraft carrier can wield is nothing short of stunning. The Ford accommodates dozens of aircraft, up to 75 fighter and attack planes, and electronic warning craft for signals and surveillance.

It carries medium-range surface-to-air missiles, anti-ship gun platforms, helicopters, and any number of military personnel, including Navy SEAL teams and Marine infantry. A properly screened and escorted aircraft carrier group is virtually invulnerable. Its immense power projects American influence around the world.

Developing such a capability has required untold amounts of time, mountains of money, and decaudes of engineering and nautical know-how and expertise. Only fifteen nations around the globe can claim to be carrier powers — less than twice the eight nations with nuclear weapons. And not all aircraft carriers are created e.

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