Gerald R. Ford Keel Laying Ceremony

[Lt-Col A. Tack]

Gerald R. Ford Keel Laying Ceremony

Wednesday, November 11, 2009, 6:02 PM


Photo courtesy Northrop Grumman Corporation

Shipbuilders at Northrop Grumman Corporation's Shipbuilding sector in Newport News, Va., signed a 15-ft banner in preparation for the upcoming keel laying ceremony for the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78). The banner will be on display at the ceremony on Nov. 14.

Susan Ford Bales, the daughter of the late President Gerald R. Ford, will serve as ship's sponsor and keel authenticator for the ceremony. Bales will authenticate the keel by chalking her initials onto a metal plate. Her initials will then be welded onto the plate.

Named after the 38th president of the United States, Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) is the first ship of the new Gerald R. Ford class. The Ford class will continue the legacy of highly capable U.S. Navy nuclear-powered aircraft carrier ship platforms.

Enhancements incorporated into the design include flight deck changes, improved weapons handling systems, and a redesigned island, all resulting in increased aircraft sortie rates. It will also include new nuclear power plants; increased electrical power generation capacity; allowance for future technologies; and reduced workload for the sailors, translating to a smaller crew size and reduced operating costs for the Navy.

Link

[bd popeye]

Well I'm happy the USN is building CVN-78...But the name..Man.Pres Ford..while a fine American is not in my opinion worthy of having an CVN named after him..I wish the SECNAV had the balls to change the name of the ship. He has that authority..

I suggest

USS Yankee Station (Yankee Station is the point in the Tonkin Gulf Off Vietnam where USN CVs carrier out strikes communist targets for 9 years.)
USS Da Nang
USS Coral Sea
USS Leyte Gulf

[TheKiwi]

Are the USS Saratoga or Lexington currently in use, because that'd honour some great ships and their crews?

[T-5 Killer]

Are the USS Saratoga or Lexington currently in use, because that'd honour some great ships and their crews?

+1 This politician names on warships has to stop.

[Seek]

Yeah, this practice of naming ships has to be reconsidered...
USS POTUS I
USS POTUS II
USS POTUS III
USS POTUS IV
.....

[Ordie]

President Ford was a Naval veteran and an important figure in restoring our country at the wake of Watergate.

Changing names after the keel has been laid is bad luck.

You should read what happened to the USS St. Lo (CVE-63).

[Euroamerican]

I agree.

The names of the carriers from 1930s through late 1940s were the best. Luckily a good number of those names still get used for surface warfare ships, cruisers mostly.

Wasp, Hornet, Yorktown, Valley Forge, Antietam, Tico, Midway, Coral Sea, Boxer, Iwo Jima, etc.

Not a dorky name amongst the whole Essex class, at least as far as I can remember. Well, except for Reprisal. That sounds more than just a little bit British... But she got cancelled.


President's name should be saved for troop ships.... (agree with Ordie on name changing though. Soon as the name gets changed, weird stuff happens)

[Meatwad]

I have nothing against President Ford, naming the whole new class and a carrier is a bit much. Naming Carriers after former presidents is somthing that should have never caught on. I would prefer if they named the CVNs after distinguished Navy Admirals.

I think Bull Halsey has a nice ring to it. However a DD already carries that name.

[Ordie]

^^^

This is what you get when you have a smaller Navy.

Nothing beats the Royal Navy when it comes to naming thier ships.

[bd popeye]

Are the USS Saratoga or Lexington currently in use, because that'd honour some great ships and their crews?

Not on a commissioned ship. Saratoga is laid up awaiting disposal. Lexington is a museum ship in Corpus Christi TX.

Nothing beats the Royal Navy when it comes to naming thier ships.

^^agreed 100%!!

President Ford was a Naval veteran and an important figure in restoring our country at the wake of Watergate.

Yes. But in my humble opinion not worthy of having a CVN named after him.

Changing names after the keel has been laid is bad luck.

Several of the Essex class had their names changed after the keel was laid.

Hanco*k (CV-19) was laid down as Ticonderoga

Lexington (CV-16) was laid down as Cabot.

Wasp(CV-18) was laid down as Oriskany.

Leyte(CV-32) was laid down as Crown Point

Princeton(CV-37)was laid down as Valley Forge

And...

Franklin D. Roosevelt (CVB-42) was launched 29 April 1945 by New York Naval Shipyard as Coral Sea (CVB-42); sponsored by Mrs. John H. Towers, wife of the Deputy Commander in Chief, Pacific Fleet; renamed Franklin D. Roosevelt 8 May 1945 following the death of the President; and commissioned 27 October 1945 Captain A. Soucek in command. She was reclassified CVA-42 on 1 October 1952.

and..

Harry S. Truman (CVN-75) was originally named United States.

[dracon49]

It will be the 13 or 14 carrier?...

[2495]

The Ford Class.... slips off the tounge nice and smooth. Now all they need is a couple of MoH winners names on them.

[Kaplanr]

The Ford Class.... slips off the tounge nice and smooth. Now all they need is a couple of MoH winners names on them.

Thought you were going to say ...slips of the ways and tumles into the bay. Images of Chevy Chase there for a minute.

[deathil93]

I vote they call the 2nd carrier (or 3rd, w/e) the USS Arizona

[He219]

Gerald R Ford (CVN 78) replaces the USS Enterprise (CVN 65) which entered service in 1961 and which will reach end of operational life around 2015.