The world’s largest warship is in Oslo

American USS Gerald R. Ford is heading for Oslo. The police ask people to keep their distance when the world’s largest warship sails up the Inner Oslofjord on Wednesday.

The case is updated.

The American aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford is out on its first operational mission. On May 2, it set out from its base in Norfolk, Virginia. On Wednesday, the first stop on the journey arrives: Oslo.

During the morning it sails up the Oslofjord. At Drøbaksundet, many people had turned up to take a look at the giant warship:

• 6 o’clock: The vessel was east of Sandefjord and traveling at 15 knots.
• 07:00 The ship was east of Tønsberg and had reduced its speed to around 9 knots. The warship was then overtaken by Pearl Seaways – the Danish boat.
• 8 am: The Color Magic, the Kiel ferry, has also passed the USS Gerald R. Ford. The ship passes Bastøy, Jeløy and Son. The speed is around 11 knots, which means approximately 20 km/h.
• 09.30: The ship passes Drøbak and approaches Oscarsborg. The speed is reduced to 9.5 knots.
• 10 o’clock: The vessel passes Nesodden at 9.8 knots.
• Just before 11 o’clock: USS Gerald R. Ford passes Nesoddtangen and is in Oslo. The speed is reduced to below 8 knots, around 14 km/h.
• 11.30am: The ship has reached the exit of the Bunnefjord and it has started to turn. The speed is reduced to below 5 knots.

At the bottom of the case, you can follow the ship’s journey into the fjord.

The USS Gerald R. Ford is the world’s largest warship. It can accommodate over 70 warplanes – more than Norway’s entire fighter fleet. Approximately 4,500 people live and work on board.

The ship belongs to the USA’s 2nd fleet, which is responsible for the USA’s east coast and the North Atlantic. It is the first of a total of ten planned ships in the Gerald R. Ford class.

First stop: Oslo

The USS Gerald R. Ford was handed over to the US Navy in 2017. Last fall, it set out on its first test voyage. However, this is the aircraft carrier’s first mission. According to the plan, it will last around six months.

The ship will be in Oslo from Wednesday and through Pentecost. According to information to Aftenposten, it will be located in the eastern part of Indre Oslofjord. The crew on board will disembark at Søndre Akershuskai.

Up the Oslofjord it is escorted by several other vessels. Among other things:

• KNM Roald Amundsen, a frigate of the Fridtjof Nansen class
• KNM Storm, a Skjold-class corvette
• The Oslo police boat Vekteren
• One of the Coast Guard’s Man-overboard-boats (MOB-boat), a fast-moving rescue boat
• August Nærø, a high-speed patrol boat belonging to the Swedish Armed Forces’ special command
• The towboat Bob and the towboat FFS Atlas

Asking people to keep their distance

In connection with the visit, a temporary no-fly zone has been introduced in the Inner Oslofjord. It is prohibited to fly drones or small aircraft closer than 900 meters from the USS Gerald R. Ford. The ban applies up to an altitude of 3,000 feet – around 1,000 metres.

The police in Oslo also ask people to keep a good distance from the ship:

– Spectators in the traffic along the Oslo Fjord are asked to avoid creating traffic-dangerous situations or creating queues, the police write on https://twitter.com/oslopolitiops/status/1661255038507859969.

– Boat operators are asked to keep a distance of 500 meters from the aircraft carrier and escorting vessels when calling, as well as 1,000 meters from the anchor point.

Google’s traffic overview shows that the traffic is at a standstill in Drøbak centre.

– There is complete traffic chaos in Drøbak with spectacle-seeking visitors. But it will probably work out now that the ship has passed, says operations manager Svein Walle in the East police district to VG.

• Do you have pictures of the ship on its way into the fjord? Send them to [email protected]