The US Navy will officially commission its newest aircraft carrier, the future USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78), during a ceremony on 22 July at Naval Station Norfolk, according to US Department of Defence news release. 

USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) is the lead ship of the new Gerald R. Ford class of aircraft carrier and will begin the phased replacement of Nimitz-class carriers when the ship is commissioned.

The Navy plans to spend $43 billion developing and building the three new Ford-class ships—Ford, the future USS John F. Kennedy (CVN 79), and the future USS Enterprise (CVN 80). Built by Huntington Ingalls Industries, the Gerald R. Ford class is designed with significant quality-of-life improvements and reduced maintenance. 

The Gerald R. Ford class incorporates advances in technology such as a new reactor plant, propulsion system, electric plant, Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS), Advanced Arresting Gear (AAG), machinery control, Dual Band Radar and integrated warfare systems.