Which Aircraft Carrier Is The World's Largest, And How Many Planes Can It Carry?

The world's largest aircraft carrier is the USS Gerald R. Ford, which entered service in 2017. It's the lead ship in the U.S. Navy's latest Gerald R. Ford class of nuclear aircraft carriers, the first new class in over 40 years, meant to replace Nimitz-class carriers that were first deployed in 1975. The carrier was given the CVN-78 designation, where CVN refers to a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, and the number means it is the 78th aircraft carrier to be classified by the U.S. Navy. 

Built by Huntington Ingalls Industries Newport News Shipbuilding, the USS Gerald R. Ford replaces the USS Enterprise (CVN-65) for the U.S. Navy. Originally due to be delivered in 2015, CVN-78 was ultimately delivered in 2017 and first deployed in 2022. To put that in context, the vessel it was replacing was deactivated in 2012. The USS Gerald R. Ford is just slightly larger than the Nimitz-class carriers, but can carry more aircraft — up to 90 — while by design also requiring a smaller crew complement to operate the vessel.

Three other Gerald R. Ford-class carriers are due to be deployed, with the USS John F. Kennedy (CVN-79) launched but yet to be commissioned and the USS Enterprise (CVN-80) and USS Doris Miller (CVN-81) to follow. Excluding the USS Doris Miller, which has yet to be laid down and is only expected to launch in 2029, the U.S. Navy had in 2017 said it planned to spend $43 billion to develop and build the first three ships.

While the Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carriers are the biggest in the world to date, the Nimitz-class carriers run a close second. The next biggest are the U.K.'s Queen Elizabeth-class carriers, followed by Russia's sole carrier, the Admiral Kuznetsov, and China's Fujian carrier, to round off the top five. The USS Gerald R. Ford has a length of 1,106 feet (337 meters), a height of 256 feet (78 meters) from the flight deck to the beam, and a flight deck width of 256 feet (78 meters).

In comparison, the general characteristics of the Nimitz-class carriers are a length of 1,092 feet (nearly 333 meters), a smaller height of 252 feet (nearly 77 meters), and a flight deck width of 252 feet (nearly 77 meters). Gerald R. Ford-class carriers have a displacement of 100,000 long tons, while Nimitz-class carriers displace 97,000 long tons, both under full load. Gerald R. Ford-class carriers can typically hold over 75 aircraft but can go as high as 90, while Nimitz-class carriers can typically hold around 60 aircraft. 

About 2,600 core crew members are needed to operate Gerald R. Ford-class carriers. This is 25% less than Nimitz-class carriers, which need about 3,500. Both classes of carriers have been designed to operate for 20-25 years before needing to be refueled. The U.S. Navy envisioned a total lifespan of 50 years.

23 innovations were brought to the USS Gerald R. Ford, the U.S. Navy's most advanced aircraft carrier, with the aim to achieve fewer personnel thanks to automation and reduced maintenance — the class is also the first with only electric utilities, replacing steam completely. Overall, a $4-billion lower lifetime cost is expected. The two new A1B nuclear reactors have better efficiency than their predecessors, coupled with a new electric plant, which is said to provide nearly three times the electrical generation capacity of Nimitz-class carriers. All this allows for more automated equipment as well as the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS) and Advanced Arresting Gear, with enough capacity overhead to allow for future innovations like a free-electron laser-directed energy weapon.

Other improvements over the previous class of carriers include Dual Band Radar, a more aft location for the island superstructure, which is smaller and also provides better visibility. The carrier also has improved weapons movement, thanks to better stowage and Advanced Weapons Elevators, which, coupled with the larger flight deck and associated improvements, help increase aircraft sortie generation rate on the newer class — up to 160 sorties per 12-hour day (270 sorties per 24-hour surge) compared to 140 sorties per 12-hour day (240 sorties per 24-hour surge) by the Nimitz-class carriers. The lead ship of the class, the USS Gerald R. Ford, is said to have cost around $13.3 billion to make.

There are three more Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carriers in various stages of development, all being built by Huntington Ingalls Industries, with a total of 10 such carriers planned. The USS John F. Kennedy (CVN-79) had its keel laid in 2015, was launched in 2019, and is currently in the late stages of testing before its expected delivery in 2025. It is anticipated to replace the USS Nimitz (CVN 68), which is still operating as the oldest aircraft carrier currently in service. USS John F. Kennedy (CVN-79) carrier is the second to be named after the U.S. president, with the first being the USS John F. Kennedy (CV-67), which was commissioned in 1968 as the last conventionally-powered aircraft carrier in the U.S. Navy.

The USS Enterprise (CVN-80) was laid down in 2022 and is expected to be launched in 2025, with a recent change to its planned delivery to 2029. The ninth ship to bear the name is aimed as a force structure replacement for the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69), a Nimitz-class aircraft carrier that's currently still in service. Finally, the USS Doris Miller (CVN-81) is in the earliest stages of construction, with its "First Steel Cut" ceremony held in 2021, but it's not expected to be laid down before 2026. CVN-81 is expected to launch in 2029 and be commissioned in 2032 and aims to replace the Nimitz-class carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70), which is also still in service.