Former President and the late Gerald Ford was thrilled when told before his passing that an aircraft carrier would be named after him. Another former Wolverine, U-M head coach Jim Harbaugh, was on hand to help christen it.
The new ship is named after the 38th President, who died in 2006. He served aboard the USS Monterey during World War II and was discharged from the Navy as a lieutenant commander.
Harbaugh took photos with former Vice President Dick Cheney, former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and others during the event.
Susan Ford Bales, the ship's sponsor and Ford's daughter, spoke at the event.
"There is no one, absolutely no one, who would be prouder of the commissioning of this mighty ship than the president of the United States, Gerald R. Ford," she said. "I am honored to give the command: 'Officers and crew of the United States Gerald R. Ford, man our ship and bring her to life.'"
Per the Associated Press ...
Construction started in 2009 and was to be completed by September 2015 at a cost of $10.5 billion. The Navy has blamed the delays and budget overruns on the ship's advanced systems and technology, including electromagnetic launch systems for jets and drones that will replace steam catapults.
The warship also has a smaller island that sits farther back on the ship to make it quicker to refuel, re-arm and relaunch planes, and a nuclear power plant designed to allow cruising speeds of more than 30 knots and operation for 20 years without refueling.
The vessel completed sea trials in April but still will go through a battery of tests and workups at sea before becoming ready for deployment, work that is expected to cost nearly $780 million and take more than four years to complete, congressional auditors said this month.
Docked at Naval Station Norfolk, the USS Ford eventually will house about 2,600 sailors, 600 fewer than the previous generation of aircraft carriers. The Navy says that will save more than $4 billion over the ship's 50-year lifespan.
The air wing to support the Ford could add more personnel to the ship, which is designed to house more than 4,600 crew members.
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