The United States is manufacturing enormous bronze propellers for its Ford-class aircraft carriers as part of an ambitious shipbuilding program that includes constructing two carriers simultaneously for the first time in history.
The Massive Propellers
Each Ford-class aircraft carrier is equipped with four 30-ton bronze propellers, with each propeller measuring 21 feet in diameter. These massive components spin to push the 100,000-ton warships through the water.
The propellers are manufactured and installed at Huntington Ingalls Industries’ Newport News Shipbuilding division in Virginia, the nation’s sole builder of nuclear-powered aircraft carriers.
Installation of the propellers culminates more than 10 months of focused work by numerous trades installing the underwater shafting and propulsion systems.
Current Construction Program
Newport News Shipbuilding is actively building multiple Ford-class carriers simultaneously:
USS John F. Kennedy (CVN-79): Launched in 2019, the carrier is now facing a two-year delay with delivery pushed to March 2027. The ship was originally scheduled to deliver in July 2025 but encountered issues with its Advanced Arresting Gear and Advanced Weapons Elevators.
USS Enterprise (CVN-80): Assembly has been underway for 26 months as of November 2024. The ship represents the third Ford-class carrier under construction.
USS Doris Miller (CVN-81): Named after the Pearl Harbor hero, this carrier is planned to be laid down in January 2026, with launch scheduled for October 2029.
Historic First: Two Carriers at Once
In a significant milestone, Newport News Shipbuilding is preparing to build two carriers simultaneously in the same dry dock for the first time in its history. The Enterprise (CVN-80) was moved to the western end of the dock so that assembly of Doris Miller (CVN-81) can begin at the eastern end.
This marks the first time the shipyard has attempted simultaneous construction of two aircraft carriers, reflecting both the scale of the Navy’s carrier replacement program and advances in shipbuilding efficiency.
The Ford-Class Design
The Gerald R. Ford-class represents the first new aircraft carrier design in 40 years. The class features:
- Full-load displacement of approximately 100,000 tons
- Nearly three times the electrical power generation capacity of Nimitz-class carriers
- Increased sortie generation rate for more efficient flight operations
- 20% reduction in maintenance costs compared to previous carriers
- Reduced manning requirements
The lead ship, USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78), was delivered to the Navy in May 2017. The first Ford-class carrier had four 30-ton propellers installed in October 2013 during its construction.
The Cost
The Ford-class carriers are among the world’s most expensive warships. USS John F. Kennedy (CVN-79) carries a price tag of $11.3 billion, with the overall class running between $12-13 billion per ship.
Despite the high initial costs, the Ford-class is designed to achieve approximately $4 billion in total ownership cost reduction per ship over its 50-year service life compared to Nimitz-class carriers, primarily through reduced manning and lower maintenance requirements.
