How $13 Billion Aircraft Carriers Are Built in 5 Years | Secret Navy Shipyard Tour

Step inside Newport News Shipbuilding to witness the construction of humanity's most expensive military asset: the $13 billion Gerald R. Ford-class nuclear-powered supercarrier. From the first steel cut to the final sea trials, discover how 5,000 workers spend 5 years building a 1,100-foot floating city capable of launching 90 aircraft and projecting American power anywhere on Earth.

The Gerald R. Ford-class represents the pinnacle of naval engineering - nuclear reactors that never need refueling for 50 years, electromagnetic catapults that launch 33-ton fighters in 2 seconds, and advanced weapons systems that make it the most lethal warship ever built.

🚢 GERALD R. FORD-CLASS SUPERCARRIER SPECIFICATIONS

Physical Dimensions & Capability:
• Total Cost: $13 billion per ship (including R&D)
• Construction Time: 5-7 years from steel cutting to commissioning
• Length: 1,106 feet (337 meters) - longer than 3 football fields
• Flight Deck Width: 256 feet (78 meters)
• Height: 250 feet from keel to mast (equivalent to 20-story building)
• Displacement: 100,000+ tons fully loaded (heaviest warship ever built)
• Speed: 30+ knots (56+ km/h) despite massive size
• Range: Unlimited with nuclear power (50-year reactor core life)
• Crew: 4,539 total (2,600 ship's company + 1,939 air wing)
• Aircraft Capacity: 75+ fixed-wing and helicopters (surge to 90+)
• Daily Flight Operations: 160-270 sorties per day (wartime surge)

Revolutionary Technology:
• Nuclear Propulsion: 2× Bechtel A1B reactors (never refuel, 50-year lifespan)
• EMALS: Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (replaces steam catapults)
• Advanced Arresting Gear: Precise energy absorption for safe landings
• Dual Band Radar: Simultaneous air traffic control and threat detection
• 30% More Electrical Power: Supports future directed energy weapons (lasers)
• Automation: 500-900 fewer crew than Nimitz-class (major cost savings)

🏭 5-YEAR CONSTRUCTION PROCESS BREAKDOWN

YEAR 1: SUPERLIFT CONSTRUCTION & MODULAR FABRICATION
• Steel plate cutting from 1-inch to 6-inch thick high-tensile steel
• Modular construction of 162 separate structural units
• 900-ton "superlifts" - entire sections built separately
• 47,000+ tons of structural steel fabricated
• X-ray inspection of every weld

YEAR 2: KEEL LAYING & NUCLEAR REACTOR INSTALLATION
• 2× A1B nuclear reactors installed (highest security phase)
• 4× propeller installation (bronze, 21 feet diameter, 30+ tons each)
• Reactor compartment sealed and tested
• Steam generation: Powers turbines producing 280,000+ shaft horsepower
• Electrical generation: 125 MW (enough for 100,000 homes)

YEAR 3: FLIGHT DECK & ISLAND CONSTRUCTION
• Flight deck: 4.5 acres of armor-plated steel
• EMALS: 4× electromagnetic catapults (accelerate 33-ton aircraft to 170 mph)
• Advanced Arresting Gear: Catches aircraft at 150 mph, stops in 350 feet
• Island superstructure: 1,200-ton prefab module lifted by crane
• 3× electromagnetic aircraft elevators (1 minute deck-to-hangar)

YEAR 4: SYSTEMS INTEGRATION & INTERIOR OUTFITTING
• 1,400+ miles of electrical cable installed
• 3+ million gallons jet fuel storage capacity
• 2,900+ tons of aviation ordnance storage
• Medical facilities: Fully equipped hospital with operating rooms
• Galley: Industrial kitchens serve 18,000+ meals daily
• Berthing for 4,539 crew



💰 COST BREAKDOWN - WHERE DOES $13 BILLION GO?
• Hull Construction: $5.5 billion
• Nuclear Propulsion: $2.8 billion
• Combat Systems: $1.9 billion
• Aircraft Systems: $1.2 billion (EMALS, AAG)
• Design & Engineering: $1.1 billion
• Government Furnished Equipment: $0.5 billion

⏱️ VIDEO CHAPTERS - 5-YEAR CONSTRUCTION TIMELINE
0:00 Introduction - The $13 Billion Floating City
2:30 Why Aircraft Carriers Cost So Much
5:00 Newport News Shipbuilding - America's Only Carrier Yard
8:00 Year 1: Superlift Modular Construction
12:30 Year 2: Keel Laying & Nuclear Reactor Installation
17:00 Year 3: Flight Deck Assembly & EMALS Catapult
22:00 Year 3: Island Construction & Dual Band Radar


🎓 EDUCATIONAL CONTENT DISCLOSURE
This video uses AI-generated visuals based exclusively on publicly available, unclassified information from official U.S. Navy sources, Congressional budget documents, and Newport News Shipbuilding press releases.

⚠️ NO classified information included
❌ NOT affiliated with U.S. Navy, DOD, or Newport News Shipbuilding
✅ Educational and documentary purposes only



🎖️ U.S. NAVY AIRCRAFT CARRIER FLEET (2026)
Gerald R. Ford-Class:
• CVN-78 USS Gerald R. Ford - Commissioned 2017
• CVN-79 USS John F. Kennedy - Building (commission ~2025)
• CVN-80 USS Enterprise - Building (commission ~2028)
• CVN-81 USS Doris Miller - Planned (commission ~2032)

📺 SUBSCRIBE for naval engineering deep-dives!
🔔 Turn on notifications for future videos!

#AircraftCarrier #USNavy #GeraldRFord #NavalEngineering #MilitaryTechnology