Hangarship, Oslo | This is what we know about the giant ship coming to Oslo

Hangarship, Oslo | This is what we know about the giant ship coming to Oslo
Hangarship, Oslo | This is what we know about the giant ship coming to Oslo
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The United States is in the process of renewing its aircraft carriers, and the first of the new generation is the USS Gerald R. Ford, which will arrive in Oslo this week. In the long term, the plan is to build ten ships in the new class, which will gradually replace older ships.

– It is the first new design on an aircraft carrier in over 60 years. And it’s fantastic, says captain on board, Rick Burgess, to NTB.

Representatives of the Norwegian press were allowed to visit him on board the aircraft carrier on Monday this week. Inside his representative office hangs the flag used to drape the coffin of the ship’s namesake – former President Gerald R. Ford.

Ford himself served in the Navy during World War II, on the aircraft carrier “Monterey,” and it is the president’s family that has donated assets to the office.

Commissioned by Trump

The USS Gerald R. Ford replaces the USS Enterprise, which was decommissioned in 2012.

The construction of the new ship started already in 2009, and in 2013 it was christened. The price tag was 13.3 billion dollars – which at today’s exchange rate is equivalent to 145 billion kroner.

USS Gerald R. Ford is 333 meters long. The width is 41 meters at the waterline, while the flight deck is 78 meters wide. The top speed of the ship is over 30 knots.

The four bronze propellers weigh 30 tonnes each and are 6.4 meters in diameter.

On 2 March 2017, then US President Donald Trump came on board to hold a ceremony where the ship was officially put into service.

– This is American labor at its biggest, best and finest. American workers are the best in the world. This warship, and everyone who works on it, should be a source of shared pride for the entire nation, Trump said, giving a thumbs up.

Explosion tests

After 2017, the ship has undergone an extensive test period. Among other things, several underwater explosions have been carried out close to the hull to see if it can withstand the pressure.

Last autumn, the ship was out on its first mission. On the afternoon of May 2 this year, the ship left the Naval Base in Norfolk, USA and set out on her first ever operational cruise. The journey’s first stop is in Oslo this week.

The ship has been sailing in the North Sea for the past few days and was visited on Monday by members of the Norwegian government and the chief of defence. It is unknown where the ship will be deployed in the future, but it belongs to the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet, with responsibility for Europe and Africa.

Crew of over 4,500

According to the official figures, the USS Gerald R. Ford has room for over 75 aircraft on board, while other sources operate with up to 90 planes and helicopters. Below deck you will find a giant hangar where the planes can be stowed close together.

The weight of a ship is calculated based on how much water it displaces (displacement), and when the aircraft carrier is fully loaded, this is 100,000 tonnes.

The crew is 4,539, according to the official figures.

Among this, 2,700 crew members are on the vessel itself, while the rest are largely linked to the flight operations. Both ship navigation and air traffic are controlled from the bridge.

Lots of new technology

The ship is the largest and probably most advanced warship ever built. It is powered by two nuclear reactors and is thus in principle self-sufficient in energy.

According to the US Navy, 23 different types of new technology have been introduced on board, which will increase combat power and defense capability, while at the same time cutting operating costs.

The new Gerald R. Ford class replaces the Nimitz class of aircraft carriers.

– The ship is enormously different from the Nimitz class, which we have used for the last 60 years. This is our first deployment and our first opportunity to train with some of the new technology. It’s very nice to be here in the North Sea, it’s something we haven’t been able to do much of in recent years, says the captain to NTB.

Among the new features on the ship is an electromagnetic catapult that is used to launch the planes. In the past, steam catapults were used.

Own Starbucks

The ship also has:

* 11 weapon elevators, which can transport 11 tonnes at a time – and faster than the predecessor ships

* A waste incineration plant that on average burns between 1.1 and 1.4 tonnes of waste per day. In this way, 100 kilograms of rubbish is reduced to one kilogram of ash

* Hairdresser, dental clinic and fully equipped infirmary

* Several shops and a Starbucks store

(© NTB)

The article is in Norwegian

Tags: Hangarship Oslo giant ship coming Oslo

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