USS Gerald R. Ford Vs. HMS Queen Elizabeth – Time To End The Supercarrier Debate
(US Navy/Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)
Queen Or President?
The aircraft carrier has long reigned supreme as the most powerful symbol of a naval fleet. The days of the aircraft carrier are numbered as naval fleets advance into the future with Supercarriers. Leading the way are two supercarriers, the USS Gerald R. Ford from the United States and the HMS Queen Elizabeth from the United Kingdom.
Both of these vessels are the latest state of the art technology used for advanced naval warfare. The Ford-class Supercarrier has a length of 1,106 feet while the Queen Elizabeth-class Supercarrier clocks in at 932 feet in length. Because the USS Gerald R. Ford is bigger it can hold more aircraft than its British counterpart. The USS Gerald Ford with roughly 75 aircraft and the HMS Queen Elizabeth with about 40 aircraft.
The USS Gerald R. Ford is designed to launch F/A-18 Super Hornets as well as the F-35C, while the HMS Queen Elizabeth is specified in just the F-35C. The HMS Queen Elizabeth retails the older landing systems which work smoothly, however, the Ford-class carrier implements a newer magnetic capture system for incoming aircraft which is proving to be a little problematic.
The debate is still up in the air but the Infographics Show demonstrates a great comparison between the two supercarriers in this clip.
