The Crazy Life Inside World’s Largest $13 Billion Aircraft Carrier in Middle of the Ocean
Summary
TLDRThe video script introduces the USS Gerald R Ford, the U.S. Navy's largest aircraft carrier, commissioned in 2017 at a cost of $13 billion. The carrier, 1100 feet long, is equipped with state-of-the-art navigation and communication systems. Life on board is akin to a floating city, with a crew of 4,500 maintaining readiness through drills and training. The ship's food service division caters to the culinary needs of the crew, and special events like Thanksgiving are celebrated with elaborate feasts. The video also highlights the importance of maintenance, fitness programs, and the crucial role of underway replenishment for extended missions. The flight deck operations are a testament to the carrier's dynamic environment, showcasing the teamwork and precision required for launching and recovering aircraft.
Takeaways
- 💰 The USS Gerald R Ford is the largest and most expensive aircraft carrier in the U.S. Navy, costing nearly 13 billion dollars.
- 🚢 It took Newport News shipbuilding nearly four years to construct this massive 1100-foot long vessel.
- 🔗 The ship requires mooring lines as thick as a man's arm and tugboats to navigate out of shallow waters due to its size.
- 💨 The Gerald R Ford can reach speeds of over 35 miles per hour, but its rudder system is less effective at slower speeds.
- 🛳 The ship functions like a floating city with 4,500 crew members and a variety of daily operations, including meticulous deck inspections for foreign object debris (FOD).
- 🗺 The navigation bridge, situated on a 555-metric ton island, is the heart of the carrier where air control and navigation take place, equipped with traditional and modern navigation tools.
- 🍽️ The food service division on the Gerald R Ford prepares around 12,000 meals a day for the crew, focusing on customer satisfaction and meeting Navy dietary requirements.
- 🎉 The ship is known for its festive celebrations, particularly its Thanksgiving dinner, which involves extensive preparation and can include up to 50 turkeys and 25 cuts of prime rib.
- 🏋️♂️ Fitness is a priority on the carrier, with programs like the 77-day warrior challenge to encourage physical activity among the crew.
- 🔧 Maintenance is crucial on the ship, with crews capable of fabricating replacement parts for essential systems like air conditioning while at sea.
- ⛽ The U.S. military uses underway replenishment to supply ships at sea with fuel, water, and munitions, allowing them to stay on mission without returning to port.
Q & A
What was the significance of the USS Gerald R Ford's commissioning in July 2017?
-The USS Gerald R Ford was officially commissioned as the United States military's largest aircraft carrier, marking a significant advancement in naval aviation capabilities.
How much did the USS Gerald R Ford cost and how long did it take to construct?
-The USS Gerald R Ford cost nearly 13 billion dollars and took nearly four years to construct by Newport News shipbuilding.
What is the role of the mooring lines on an aircraft carrier like the USS Gerald R Ford?
-Mooring lines hold the ship to the dock and can be as thick as a man's arm and weigh thousands of pounds, requiring significant time to prepare the ship to move away from the docks.
How does the USS Gerald R Ford navigate out of shallow waters?
-The ship requires assistance from a team of tugboats to push and pull it until it is out in deeper water, as its traditional rudder system cannot turn effectively at slower speeds.
What is the top speed of the USS Gerald R Ford?
-The USS Gerald R Ford can reach speeds of more than 35 miles per hour.
What is the significance of the foreign object debris (FOD) walks on the aircraft carrier?
-FOD walks are conducted daily to meticulously inspect the deck for any foreign objects that might accidentally get stuck into an aircraft jet intake, ensuring the safety of the aircraft operations.
Where is the navigation bridge located on the USS Gerald R Ford?
-The navigation bridge is located on a 555-metric ton island situated on the ship's deck, serving as the tallest part of the ship where most of the air control and navigation takes place.
How does the USS Gerald R Ford ensure navigation in case of an EMP attack or loss of satellite contact?
-In such scenarios, the ship would need to navigate using traditional methods like maps, sextants, and other centuries-old navigation tools.
What is the role of the food service division on the USS Gerald R Ford?
-The food service division, consisting of a large team of culinary specialists, is responsible for supplying three regular meals, snacks, and more to the ship's crew, focusing on customer satisfaction and meeting the Navy's dietary and health requirements.
How many meals does the culinary team on the USS Gerald R Ford prepare daily?
-The culinary team on the USS Gerald R Ford is tasked with preparing around 12,000 meals a day.
What special event does the USS Gerald R Ford's culinary team prepare for Thanksgiving?
-For Thanksgiving, the culinary team spends roughly two days prepping, which in 2018 included 50 turkeys, 40 hams, and 25 cuts of prime rib, with the event being open to sailors and their families.
How does the USS Gerald R Ford maintain crew readiness and familiarity with the ship?
-The crew engages in various training actions, works with a wide variety of equipment and vehicles, and participates in drills such as firefighting functions to maintain readiness and maximize familiarity with every aspect of the ship.
What is the purpose of the underway replenishment system used by aircraft carriers?
-The underway replenishment system allows aircraft carriers to receive fuel, water, and munitions, and offload unsafe waste while at sea, enabling them to stay on mission without having to return to port.
How does the catabar system assist in launching aircraft from the USS Gerald R Ford?
-The catabar system attaches to the front wheel of an aircraft and flings it forward at speeds of around 160 miles per hour, allowing the plane to become airborne despite the limited runway space on the carrier.
What is the role of the various colored vest teams on the flight deck of the USS Gerald R Ford?
-Purple vests are for fueling planes, yellow and green vests work with the catabar system and direct planes, and red vests are tasked with weapons preparation and mounting.
How is the flight deck activity on the USS Gerald R Ford coordinated?
-Activity on the flight deck is observed and directed from the launch bubble, also known as the Catapult control station, which provides an eye-level view across the entire operation and monitors weather conditions.
Outlines
🚢 Commissioning of the USS Gerald R Ford
The USS Gerald R Ford, the United States' largest aircraft carrier, was officially commissioned in July 2017. This colossal vessel cost nearly 13 billion dollars and took Newport News shipbuilding nearly four years to construct. Despite its size of 1100 feet, life aboard is similar to other modern carriers. The ship requires a significant amount of time to prepare for departure due to the thick and heavy mooring lines. Once underway, tugboats assist in navigating out of shallow waters until the carrier's powerful engines can propel it at speeds over 35 miles per hour. The traditional rudder system is ineffective at slower speeds, but once clear of obstacles, the Gerald R Ford can sail independently. Commanding such a ship is considered a precious opportunity in military service, with the captain viewing it as a team effort, emphasizing the importance of every crew member's performance.
🍽 Life and Operations Aboard the USS Gerald R Ford
The USS Gerald R Ford functions as a floating city, with thousands of people living on board. The ship's culinary team is tasked with supplying three meals a day, snacks, and more to the crew, focusing on customer satisfaction while adhering to the Navy's dietary and health requirements. The carrier's commissary is equipped with state-of-the-art cooking equipment and serves more customers than any busy restaurant on land. The ship is known for its elaborate holiday meals, particularly its Thanksgiving dinner, which in 2018 included 50 turkeys, 40 hams, and 25 cuts of prime rib. Other major holidays and events, such as talent shows and fitness challenges, contribute to a sense of camaraderie and home among the crew. However, readiness remains a priority, with work shifts potentially split into 12-hour or 4-hour increments, leaving time for eating, sleeping, and recreation.
🛠 Maintenance and Emergency Preparedness on Aircraft Carriers
Aircraft carriers must be in a constant state of readiness, engaging in various training actions and working with a wide array of equipment and vehicles. Crew members train with weapons, perform duties in different conditions, and participate in firefighting drills, which are crucial for safety aboard Navy vessels. Maintenance is a critical job on board, as the carriers face the challenges of both complex nuclear-powered operations and issues similar to those in large apartment complexes. An example of this was when the USS Ronald Reagan, an aircraft carrier, faced an air conditioning unit failure in 2021. The maintenance team was able to dismantle the unit, identify the problem, and fabricate a replacement part while still at sea, ensuring the comfort and health of the crew.
✈️ Flight Operations and Underway Replenishment on Aircraft Carriers
The flight deck on an aircraft carrier is a hub of activity, with between 50 and 75 planes and helicopters on board at any given time. Planes use a catapult system known as the catabar for launch, which flings them forward at speeds of around 160 miles per hour to become airborne within a short runway space. Multiple teams, each wearing colored vests to denote their roles, work on the flight deck. Purple-vested personnel fuel planes, while those in yellow and green work with the catabar system and direct the planes. Red-vested crew members are responsible for weapons preparation and mounting. The launch bubble, or Catapult control station, oversees the entire operation, coordinating the deck crew and monitoring weather conditions. The Gerald R Ford, like other carriers, conducts multiple aircraft launches and recoveries daily to ensure readiness for any mission. Additionally, underway replenishment allows carriers to stay at sea for extended periods by transferring fuel, water, and munitions from replenishment tankers, enabling them to remain on mission without returning to port.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡USS Gerald R Ford
💡Moiring lines
💡Tugboats
💡Foreign Object Debris (FOD)
💡Navigation bridge
💡Culinary specialists
💡Underway replenishment
💡Catabar system
💡Flight deck
💡General quarters
💡Maintenance
Highlights
The USS Gerald R Ford was commissioned in July 2017 as the largest aircraft carrier by the U.S. military.
The carrier cost nearly 13 billion dollars and took four years to construct by Newport News shipbuilding.
Despite its size, life aboard the Gerald R Ford is similar to other modern aircraft carriers.
The 1100-foot-long vessel requires significant preparation to move away from the dock, including removing heavy mooring lines.
Tugboats assist the carrier in navigating out of shallow waters due to the traditional rudder system's limitations at slow speeds.
Commanding the Gerald R Ford is considered a precious opportunity in military service, emphasizing teamwork.
Daily foreign object debris (FOD) walks are conducted to ensure the safety of aircraft operations.
The navigation bridge, located on a 555-metric-ton island, is the heart of the carrier's air control and navigation.
In case of an EMP attack or satellite disconnection, traditional navigation tools like maps and sextants are essential.
The Gerald R Ford functions as a floating city, with a culinary team supplying over 12,000 meals a day.
The ship's commissary is equipped like a state-of-the-art restaurant, serving a larger number of customers than most restaurants on land.
The carrier is known for its elaborate Thanksgiving dinners, prepared by the culinary team over two days.
Crew members engage in various recreational activities and events to maintain morale and camaraderie.
Fitness programs like the 77-day warrior challenge encourage physical fitness among the crew.
Crew members train with weapons, perform duties, and participate in emergency scenarios like firefighting drills.
Maintenance is crucial on aircraft carriers, addressing issues like broken air conditioning units while at sea.
Underway replenishment allows carriers to receive fuel, water, and munitions while at sea, extending their operational time.
The flight deck is a hub of activity with multiple teams working in coordination for aircraft launch and recovery.
The catapult control station, or launch bubble, provides a clear view for directing flight deck operations.
Aircraft practice takeoff and landing to maintain readiness for potential missions.
Transcripts
hello everyone and welcome back to the
fluctus channel
in July 2017 the United States military
officially commissioned its largest
aircraft carrier the USS Gerald R Ford
[Music]
this massive carrier costs nearly 13
billion dollars and took nearly four
years for Newport News shipbuilding to
construct
[Music]
though this 1100 foot long vessel is the
biggest in the world
life aboard the Gerald R Ford will be
quite similar to any other modern
aircraft carrier
for the 4 500 crew members assigned to
the ship things start with removing The
Mooring lines that hold it to the dock
for a ship of this type Mooring lines
can be as thick as a man's arm and weigh
thousands of pounds
for this reason it can take a
significant amount of time to prepare
the ship to move away from the docks
once underway the ship requires
assistance in order to navigate out of
the shallow water
Miss is typically performed by a team of
tugboats who push and pull the larger
ship until it is out in deeper water
despite the powerful engines being able
to push the Gerald R Ford up to speeds
of more than 35 miles per hour its
traditional Rudder system cannot turn
effectively when moving at slower speeds
once clear of the docks and any
underwater obstacles the aircraft
carrier can continue out to sea under
its own power
[Music]
the opportunity to command is probably
one of the most precious opportunities
we have in the military service
and to command such a fine crew that has
worked very very hard and over 2 600
folks that all kind of look uh to me but
I also look to them
um to do all the great things that
they've been trained to do so I look at
it as truly a team effort proudly to be
uh so to speak the captain of the team
but uh for the team to function every
member of the team has to perform
for as long as jet planes have been
operating from aircraft carriers it has
been up to the carrier Crews to
meticulously inspect the deck for what's
known as a foreign object debris
these fod walks take place daily and
involve checking all parts of the deck
for anything that might be accidentally
stuck into an aircraft jet intake
daily operations aboard a carrier Flight
Deck can knock bolts pieces of metal and
various other objects free from Planes
machinery and more
any of these items could disable a
multi-million dollar plane in seconds if
it passes through one of the engines
unexpectedly
the only solution to such a problem is
to carefully search every inch of the
deck and turn in any loose items to crew
leaders
the heart of any aircraft carrier is the
navigation bridge
as with previous carrier designs the USS
Gerald R Ford's bridge is located on a
555 metric ton Island situated on the
ship's deck
as the tallest part of the ship this is
where most of the air control and
navigation takes place it is also where
the radar and communication antennas are
situated
despite many advances in digital and
satellite navigation it is essential
that teams know how to do things the
traditional way
where the USS Gerald R Ford to suffer an
EMP attack or be cut off from satellite
contact it would need to find its way
using maps sextants and other
centuries-old navigation tools come
right here of course 146.
though it's tempting to think of
aircraft carriers solely as weapons of
war they are actually more akin to
floating cities
[Music]
with thousands of people living on board
at any given time it is imperative that
the ship's culinary team be able to
supply three regular meals snacks and
more to their Shipmates
[Music]
the USS Gerald R Ford has a food service
division that features a huge team of
culinary specialists
these people take a very customer
focused approach to their job aiming to
produce delicious meals that also fit
the Navy's dietary and health
requirements
foreign
[Music]
carrier commissary is equipped with the
same sorts of cooking equipment as a
state-of-the-art restaurant but has many
more customers than even the busiest
restaurant on land
[Music]
on the Gerald R Ford there are around 98
people tasked with putting out around 12
000 meals a day
holidays are major events for the cruise
of aircraft carriers over the years
since its launch the Gerald R Ford has
earned quite the reputation for its
Thanksgiving dinner
The Culinary team aboard the ship spends
roughly two days prepping for the event
in 2018 this event included 50 turkeys
40 hams and 25 cuts of prime rib that
year the event was open to Sailors and
their families and the entire mess hall
was decorated with an upscale
Thanksgiving motif
[Music]
other major holidays on board U.S naval
ships include the 4th of July and
Christmas each with its unique
celebratory customs
[Music]
thank you
but aircraft carriers do not only come
alive on special days crew members often
throw talent shows with musical acts
magic and more as well as other events
that give Crews a chance to mingle and
feel more at home
[Music]
that said Readiness is still a priority
depending on the ship and the conditions
work shifts may be split up into 12
hours or 4 Hour increments
at home
this generally leaves about half the day
for eating sleeping and Recreation
in order to make sure their crew members
stay in fighting shape cruise on
carriers around the world often set up
special fitness programs such as the
77-day warrior challenge
the goal is to encourage the men and
women on board to invest at least some
of their free time in physical fitness
[Music]
five eight
nine in many cases these fitness
challenges evolve into a stiff
competition between crew members looking
to outdo one another
this not only increases the general
camaraderie among the crew but helps
keep everyone in shape for the mission
[Applause]
there are many different jobs assigned
to aircraft carrier crew members however
each person on board is still a sailor
[Music]
during General quarters drills All Hands
aboard the ship must assume Battle
Stations these are the positions
assigned to them whenever the vessel is
in a combat scenario
throughout the course of a given day a
carrier will launch and retrieve
multiple aircraft engage in various
training actions and work with a wide
variety of equipment in vehicles
[Music]
the purpose of this is to keep the crew
in a constant state of Readiness and
maximize their familiarity with every
aspect of their ship
crew members will train with weapons and
perform various duties in multiple types
of conditions they even participate in
firefighting functions which is
generally considered a worst case
scenario when a fire breaks out aboard a
Navy vessel
perhaps one of the most important jobs
aboard a Navy ship is maintenance
after all not only do these massive
vessels have all the problems of a
complex nuclear-powered boat but they
also have the same issues one might
associate with living in a massive
apartment complex
for instance the USS Ronald Reagan a
nimitz-class carrier has just six air
conditioning units to serve the entire 5
000 person crew
[Music]
if one of these breaks as it did in 2021
it would pose a huge problem for the
comfort and health of the people on
board
though each unit generally weighs more
than four thousand pounds a team of
Maintenance Personnel was able to take
the air conditioner apart identify the
problem and fabricate a replacement part
while remaining out at sea
so the problem we faced with the number
one AC uh chill water pump was a
mechanical issue with the motor which
turned off the AC on the floor down the
ship
what we did was we fabricated and
machined a shaft collar for the pump
which then restored AC back on the port
another ship
I guess being in this part of the world
AC is really important it also put a big
strain on the other AC pumps not having
one AC up
so allowing 1ac to come back online
relieved a little bit of stress on the
AC pumps
aircraft carriers and other large
warships will often spend months at sea
at a time
in order to ensure they don't run out of
food fuel or supplies
the US military has developed a system
known as underway replenishment
this is when a special replenishment
tanker pulls up alongside the carrier
and establishes a connection by shooting
a line between the two ships
these lines are then used to set up
various hoses and conveyors moving fuel
water and Munitions on board and
offloading anything that's unsafe to
dispose of on the ship
navies around the world have utilized
this replenishment system for decades
allowing their ships to stay on Mission
and preventing them from having to
return to Port
[Music]
foreign
the flight deck is perhaps the only
place on an aircraft carrier where
something is almost always going on
a standard carrier will have between 50
and 75 planes and helicopters on board
at any given time
though the helicopters can simply take
off vertically the planes must utilize a
special catapult system known as the
catabar
foreign
before launch an aircraft's front wheel
will be attached to the cater bar
which then flings the aircraft forward
at speeds of around 160 miles per hour
this ensures the plane can become
airborne despite having just a few
hundred feet of Runway space
multiple teams work on the flight deck
each identified by their colored vests
thank you
[Music]
those wearing purple are responsible for
fueling planes while those in yellow and
green work with the catabar system and
help direct the planes
finally those in red are tasked with
weapons prep and mounting
[Music]
all of this activity is observed and
erected from the launch bubble
also known as the Catapult control
station the bubble is located inside the
ship's deck
which gives the Personnel working inside
an eye level view across the entire
operation
[Music]
these men and women informed the green
and yellow deck crew members where and
when to direct the planes while
monitoring weather conditions for
potential problems
if conditions are optimal and the flight
deck Crews have done their jobs the
plane will be cleared for takeoff
on a given day an aircraft carrier like
the Gerald R Ford will launch and
recover multiple aircraft
[Music]
though it is not always necessary to
have planes in the air it is necessary
to ensure the pilots Flight Deck Crews
and other crew members are well
practiced and ready for whatever the
ship might encounter while on its
mission
[Music]
foreign
that's the end of this video I hope you
enjoyed it make sure to subscribe to
this channel so you don't miss any of
our new content see you next time
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