Navy to Deploy Pacific & European “Variants” of Ford-Class Carriers

By Kris Osborn, President, Center for Military Modernization

(Washington DC)

Now that the USS Ford is operational at sea, the Navy is focused on tailoring the ship’s weapons, technologies and sailor training to meet the demands of specific mission assignments and theaters of operation. 

Ford-Class Carrier Variants

For example, could there be differently configured European or Pacific variants of Ford-class carriers? Certainly threats and conditions specific to particular areas might require different kinds of preparation and even different technologies. Navy Ford-class program manager Capt. Brian Metcalf said adjustments or various “installs” may be made prior to deployment to certain areas. 

“Once I turn the ship over to the fleet, if there are things they need to do that are theater specific, whether that be East coast or West coast, they will have the time and availability to do that. If they get a work-up schedule to deploy West instead of East, that is where they get their special tactics training, their procedures training or any installs that would be specific to where they end up,” Metcalf said earlier this year when speaking at the Navy League’s annual Sea-Air-Space Symposium. 

Video report: Capt. Metcalf Describes “Installs” & Training Prep for Ford-Carriers 

Metcalf’s response came in response to a specific question at Sea Air Space from Navy expert Chris Cavas who asked if countermeasures or weapons specific to certain enemy threat such as Russian EW systems, would be built into carriers going places with specific known threats.