The costliest vessel on the sea was put through its paces on Saturday off the coast of Virginia. US Navy ship worth £10billion has been snapped on the water for the very first time.
The USS Gerald R. Ford ship underwent the first of its sea trials to test its numerous state-of-the-art systems.
The aircraft carrier left Huntington Ingalls Industries-Newport News Shipbuilding in Newport News after more than a year in delays and extra costs.
Construction for the Ford, which was projected to set the Navy back by £8.4billion, started in 2009.
The warship was supposed to be finished in September 2015 but ended up taking over a year and a half longer, with a final bill of £10billion.
Nearly 5,000 shipbuilders were involved in the warship’s construction, with the finished product weighing almost 100,000 tonnes.
It boasts a five-acre flight deck, can transport 4,660 personnel and 75 aircraft.
The ship, which was designed using 3D computer modelling, is capable of reaching speeds upwards of 34mph thanks to its two nuclear reactors. The firm tasked with building the Ford faced issues with its advanced systems and technology, including aircraft landing equipment and power generation.
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