An E/A-18G Growler aircraft launches from the flight deck of the world’s largest aircraft carrier, USS Gerald R. Ford, in support of Operation Epic Fury on March 1, 2026. (U.S. Central Command)
NAPLES, Italy — The aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford’s support of Middle East operations that began over the weekend likely is showcasing — and testing — its cutting-edge technology and capabilities, which older carriers lack.
Ford, the Navy’s newest and the world’s largest aircraft carrier, is more than eight months into a deployment that has seen the ship go from Europe to the Caribbean Sea and back.
The carrier was ordered to the Mediterranean Sea last month, part of a U.S. military buildup as President Donald Trump threatened Iran that an “armada” was on its way to the region.
Among Ford’s features is the electromagnetic aircraft launching system, or EMALS, which replaces the more than 70-year-old technology behind the steam-powered system used on the service’s Nimitz-class carriers.
EMALS provides a smoother, more controlled launch that puts less stress on aircraft, officials say. It also offers greater flexibility in launching a range of aircraft, including aerial drones, although it’s unclear whether Ford has used it to launch unmanned aircraft.
Together, Ford and counterpart aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln carry about 150 aircraft, according to analysts. Those range from F/A-18 Super Hornets to EA-18G Growler airborne electronic attack planes and E-2 Advanced Hawkeye airborne control and command aircraft.
An F/A-18E Super Hornet lands on the flight deck of Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln in support of Operation Epic Fury against Iran on March. 1, 2026. (U.S. Central Command)
There also is a Marine Corps F-35C Lightning II fighter jet squadron aboard Lincoln, which is now in the Arabian Sea as part of Operation Epic Fury.
The U.S.-Israeli campaign launched Saturday that killed Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and other top Iranian officials.
Ford’s flight deck design in conjunction with EMALS and an advanced arresting gear system used to stop aircraft “have contributed to an increased sortie generation rate compared to that of a Nimitz-class carrier,” the Navy said in a statement Thursday.
Electromagnetic motors are used in the ship’s 11 advanced weapons elevators that can carry up to 24,000 pounds of ordnance at 150 feet per minute, according to the Navy.
Other capabilities include six in-deck fuel positions that allow quick aircraft refueling without the need to drag hoses across the flight deck.
Lifestyle improvements such as private bathrooms in officers’ state rooms and higher-output air conditioning make sailors more comfortable.
The Navy acknowledged that Ford’s current deployment would require “sacrifice” from sailors who already have endured extended time away from their families.
A U.S. sailor prepares an F/A-18E Super Hornet aircraft for takeoff March 1, 2026, on the flight deck of USS Gerald R. Ford in support of Operation Epic Fury against Iran. (U.S. Central Command)
Service officials also gave assurances that the ship’s sewage and water purification systems were running within normal parameters and that problems were quickly fixed.
Efforts to improve morale and ensure that sailors could stay connected to family included expanded internet availability, the Navy said.
“Our sailors understand the importance of their service,” Adm. Daryl Caudle, chief of naval operations, said in the statement. “They are away from home longer than planned because the nation needs them forward and ready. I want them to take great pride in that calling.”
After a stop at Naval Support Activity Souda Bay on the Greek island of Crete for resupply and a chance for the crew to rest, Ford is on station in the eastern Mediterranean in support of Operation Epic Fury.
Here are five lesser-known new technologies or design changes on the Ford worth a closer look:
This garbage disposal mechanism vaporizes most of Ford’s trash, including plastic, allowing it to be legally discharged at sea. With the need to store trash eliminated, plastic no longer needs to be melted down into pucks and then discarded in port.
The system uses a plasma torch powered by an electric arc to burn garbage, resulting in a gas mostly made up of hydrogen and carbon monoxide, a process called plasma arc gasification.
On a normal day, the ship burns about 2,500 to 3,000 pounds of trash at 9,032 degrees Fahrenheit. With the system, 100 pounds of trash can be reduced to 1 pound of ash, according to a Navy fact sheet.
Part of Ford’s food service design includes high-tech ovens that function like Instant Pot pressure cookers but are significantly more powerful. They include product display menus that allow push-button cooking.
The ovens are linked to Wi-Fi and can be monitored. They’re also self-cleaning, becoming a sort of self-contained dishwasher complete with soapy water and rinse cycles that eliminate the need for chemicals and scrubbing.
Additionally, Ford-class carriers have just two galleys, as opposed to the five on Nimitz-class ships. That allows for simultaneous, centralized service from the same source and cooks.
Food storage is located directly below the galleys, which are in the ship’s centerline, allowing more direct access and decreasing the staffing needed to break down and store supplies.
This feature combines separate multifunction and volume search radars operating on different frequencies. It is managed by a single software program, minimizing human intervention and maximizing reaction time.
The system, which provides a 360-degree air picture around the ship, is the primary radar for contacting aircraft. It features a three-panel, or array, radar without moving parts, which allows for a smaller island.
Ford is the only carrier of its class with dual-band radar, which the Navy has jettisoned in favor of enterprise air surveillance radar for the USS John F. Kennedy and subsequent Ford-class carriers.
There are 10 programmable stores elevators for supplies aboard the Ford situated over centralized storerooms on various levels.
The design allows for transfer of food and supplies directly into the appropriate storerooms, shrinking the working crew from the typical 50 to 100 sailors on other ships and minimizing time spent on the flight deck and in the hangar bay during replenishment.
The Ford flight deck includes six in-deck fueling stations, four along the fighter line and two farther forward.
The stations accelerate fueling speed and eliminate the need for crew members to drag fuel lines across the deck. The arrangement is part of a NASCAR-style approach to fueling, maintaining and arming planes on the Ford.
That concept also is aided by the ship’s smaller island, which sits farther aft to create more room to move aircraft around.
