The largest warship in the world, and the US Navy’s newest and most technologically advanced aircraft carrier, is in European waters for its first deployment.
Synopsis
The largest warship in the world, and the US Navy’s newest and most technologically advanced aircraft carrier, is in European waters for its first deployment.
The USS Gerald R. Ford recently concluded Exercise Silent Wolverine, a series of maritime drills off the coast of Portugal involving 11 ships from six other NATO Allies. During the exercise, the aircraft carrier launched and recovered strike fighters, surveillance aircraft, electronic warfare aircraft and helicopters while coordinating with ships from Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, the Netherlands and Spain. Working together in a multinational carrier strike group, Silent Wolverine gave NATO Allies a chance to see the USS Gerald R. Ford in action and familiarise themselves with its systems.
The USS Gerald R. Ford made its first foreign port call in Halifax, Canada. Following Silent Wolverine, it visited Portsmouth in the United Kingdom, giving UK and other NATO officials a chance to see the ship in person.
The first ship in a new class of super carriers, the USS Gerald R. Ford uses electromagnetic catapults to launch jets, breaking with the steam-powered system used by carriers for decades. This new system requires fewer sailors to operate, and its power levels can be calibrated for specific aircraft, leading to less wear and tear and lower long-term maintenance costs.
Footage includes shots of the carrier strike group under sail; the USS Gerald R. Ford launching and recovering aircraft; a replenishment-at-sea operation and shots of maintainers fixing jets in the hangar bay, as well as interviews with USS Gerald R. Ford Captain Paul Lanzilotta, and Royal Canadian Navy Rear Admiral David Patchell, Vice Commander of US Second Fleet.
Transcript
---SHOTLIST—
(00:00) (MUTE) SLOW-MO SHOT: US NAVY F/A-18F SUPER HORNET LAUNCHING OFF THE USS GERALD R. FORD
(00:19) VARIOUS AERIAL SHOTS OF USS GERALD R. FORD CARRIER STRIKE GROUP
(00:54) VARIOUS SHOTS: US NAVY F/A-18F SUPER HORNET STRIKE FIGHTERS MOVING INTO POSITION ON THE USS GERALD R. FORD FLIGHT DECK
(01:08) VARIOUS SHOTS: DECK PERSONNEL PREPARING AIRCRAFT TO LAUNCH
(01:19) VARIOUS SHOTS: DECK PERSONNEL LAUNCHING AIRCRAFT
(01:37) VARIOUS SHOTS: SUPER HORNETS LAUNCHING
(02:14) (MUTE) VARIOUS SLOW-MO SHOTS: SUPER HORNETS LAUNCHING
(02:43) VARIOUS SHOTS: HORNETS LAUNCHING AT SUNSET
(02:55) VARIOUS SHOTS: JET BLAST DEFLECTORS RISING
(03:03) VARIOUS TELEPHOTO SHOTS: SUPER HORNETS LAUNCHING
(03:08) VARIOUS SHOTS: SUPER HORNETS LANDING
(03:38) VARIOUS SHOTS: LANDING SIGNAL OFFICERS HELPING HORNETS LAND
(04:17) MEDIUM SHOT: SUPER HORNETS PARKED ON USS GERALD R. FORD
FLIGHT DECK
(04:22) MEDIUM SHOT: PILOT TALKING TO FLIGHT DECK SAILOR
(04:25) MEDIUM SHOT: DECK SAILORS MOVING AIR-TO-AIR MISSILES ACROSS FLIGHT DECK
(04:29) (MUTE) SLOW-MO SHOT: PILOT WALKING ACROSS FLIGHT DECK
(04:34) VARIOUS SHOTS: PILOT PRE-FLIGHTING SUPER HORNET BEFORE TAKING OFF
(05:03) MEDIUM SHOT: FLIGHT DECK AT NIGHT
(05:08) VARIOUS SHOTS: PILOT DESCENDING AIRCRAFT AT NIGHT
(05:13) VARIOUS SHOTS: PRIMARY FLIGHT CONTROL
(05:36) VARIOUS SHOTS: PILOT GEARING UP
(06:00) VARIOUS SHOTS: USS GERALD R. FORD HANGAR BAY
(06:35) VARIOUS SHOTS: USS GERALD R. FORD RECEIVES SUPPLIES WHILE UNDERWAY
(07:06) VARIOUS SHOTS: HELICOPTERS FERRY SUPPLIES ONTO USS GERALD R. FORD
FLIGHT DECK
(07:40) VARIOUS TIME-LAPSE SHOTS OF USS GERALD R. FORD UNDERWAY
(08:10) MEDIUM SHOT: USS GERALD R. FORD CONTROL TOWER WITH JETS PASSING OVERHEAD
(08:15) SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) Royal Canadian Navy Rear Admiral David Patchell, Vice Commander, US Second Fleet
“So we’re here to conduct high-level maritime operations across the spectrum. We’re here to showcase the Gerald R. Ford, conduct flight operations, and then integrate Allies and partners, Allies from Germany, France, Denmark, Spain, Canada and the Netherlands, and work together, so that we continue to refine procedures, refine our communications, and just demonstrate that security and that peaceful operations within the Atlantic Ocean.”
(08:46) SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) US Navy Captain Paul Lanzilotta, Commanding Officer, USS Gerald R. Ford
“So the Ford benefits from operating with our Allies in many ways. First of all, our ship is a command and control node. We’re a flagship. So I host multiple staffs on the ship already, and then hosting liaison officers is something that navies need to do, that the United States Navy needs to do when we deploy into a theatre of war or peace. We need to be able to coordinate, collaborate and integrate with our Allies. So that’s one thing, just talking among each other, collaborating, having a battle rhythm, having the meetings that we have each day on a network that we all can use.That’s really important. And then in terms of our exercise out here, our exercise Silent Wolverine, we’re able to have a much more robust presentation, with more ships involved.”
(09:28) SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) US Navy Captain Paul Lanzilotta, Commanding Officer, USS Gerald R. Ford
“Yeah, the USS Gerald R. Ford is our nation’s newest carrier, nuclear-powered warship. First one to be developed from scratch in almost 40 years after the Nimitz class, so we’re excited about the new technologies that Ford brings to the table. The most prominent ones are the electromagnetic aircraft launch system, and the advanced arresting gear.”
(09:49) SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) US Navy Captain Paul Lanzilotta, Commanding Officer, USS Gerald R. Ford
“We can shoot aircraft at a wider range, in terms of weight of aircraft. So as aircraft evolve in the coming years, and we anticipate using more unmanned vehicles, those might be lighter than the large fighters, strike fighters that we’re shooting right now, and we anticipate less stress on those aircraft, less lifetime costs on the aircraft, too. So a whole host of benefits.”
