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

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