FUTURE AIRCRAFT CARRIERS The US's 'evolutionary' Gerald Ford class

The US is taking an "evolutionary step" with the new Gerald Ford class. Similar in size to the Nimitz class, the 100,000-ton Ford is due to enter the US fleet in 2015 and will be able to accommodate the new F-35 multi-role fighter. With two higher-power nuclear reactors and a design created to reduce the ship's radar profile, the Ford will give its commanders new flexibility and capability, says Wertheim.
"Improvements such as better catapults allowing for greater launch potential, increased sortie rates, smaller crew size and decreased maintenance requirements will give a more capable platform that is also easier to maintain and keep on station then previous carrier designs," Wertheim says.
The US Navy currently maintains a fleet of 11 carriers – 10 Nimitz class and one Enterprise class. Wertheim says he expects the fleet to be relatively stable in size for the next decade or so.
"I see the number of large-deck US Navy carriers remaining relatively stable during the next 10 years, but decreasing slightly, perhaps by 20%, during the next 20 years," he says. "The carriers are getting more expensive to build and there is simply not enough aircraft to fill their flight decks anymore."