NORFOLK, Va. — The Navy said the first deployment of the USS Gerald R. Ford is rescheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 4 at 12:30 p.m. It had been delayed from Monday due to weather concerns.
The Ford, which was commissioned in 2017, is first in a series of a new class of carriers. It faced a series of challenges getting ready to deploy, but Navy leaders say it is now ready to go.
"We're not in test mode. We're in operating mode and all systems are a go," said Capt. Paul Lanzilotta, the carrier's commanding officer.
The Ford has 23 new technologies meant to make it function easier while also reducing operating and maintenance costs.
Lanzilotta explained the goal of the deployment as, "working through all the new technologies, getting them to be refined, improve, learning lessons along the way, learning how we're going to use them. We're taking the next step now," said Lanzilotta.
During deployment, Navy leaders say the ship will carry out exercises with other NATO countries and will make a port visit. "We're going to sail on the seas with our partners. We're going to operate in concert with them. We want interoperability. We want interchangeability with them," said Lanzilotta.
The carrier has a crew of about 2,700.
"Seeing the team come together and evolve we're ready. We're definitely ready for it," said Petty Officer Tiarra Nave. "We're making history, so we're ready to go."
The short deployment will send the carrier and its strike group into the Atlantic. Next year, the ship will deploy for a longer global deployment.
