The ship is on its first operational voyage ever, and Oslo will be the first port visited.
– The fact that you are now making your first visit with your new aircraft carrier to Norwegian waters is very positive for the cooperation we have with the Americans, says Defense Minister Bjørn Arild Gram to NTB.
On Monday, he visited the aircraft carrier out at sea together with the chief of defence, the minister for research, the US ambassador to Norway and several official representatives.
– This is Norway’s security, says Gram.
The USS Gerald R. Ford is the largest warship ever built. The ship was christened in 2013, but after several years of tests and preparation, it has now been put into normal operation. At the beginning of May, the ship left the United States and embarked on its first operational voyage.
Accompanied by a Norwegian frigate
The warship is now sailing together with the Norwegian frigate Roald Amundsen on its way towards Norway.
– This is a very concrete sign of the security guarantee Norway has through NATO, says the defense minister.
The ship departed from the Naval Base in Norfolk, Virginia on the afternoon of May 2. On Monday morning it was in the North Sea, in Danish waters.
On board, the Minister of Defense and the other visitors were treated to a demonstration of fighter jets landing and taking off from the ship.
The ambassador: – Very symbolic
The US ambassador to Norway, Marc Nathanson, believes that the visit is very symbolic.
– Here we have the world’s largest aircraft carrier making its first visit to Oslo. It says something about the closeness the USA feels to Norway, and hopefully Norway feels the same in return, he says to NTB:
He points out that Norway helped start NATO together with the USA. And that the country is a critical ally for the US, partly because of its proximity to Russia.
– If you are going to the Nordics, this is the country to go to, says Nathanson.
Powered by nuclear power
On board is a crew of 4,500, and there is room for around 90 planes and helicopters. The ship is powered by two nuclear reactors.
– The ship is new. It is the first new design on American aircraft carriers in over 60 years. And it’s fantastic, says the captain on board, Rick Burgess, to NTB.
He says that the crew appreciates discovered, which has taken them to the North Sea.
– It is our first deployment and first opportunity to practice and try out some of the new technology. We think it is very exciting to be here in the North Sea. It’s something we haven’t been able to do much of lately. But we are very happy to be here, he says.
The crew will have the opportunity to leave the ship during their visit to Oslo – and will probably leave their mark on the city.
