“USS Gerald R. Ford in Oslo: United States’ Largest Aircraft Carrier Sends a Threatening Message Against Kremlin?”

2023-05-27 13:08:00

“Threatening” against the Kremlin? United States send largest aircraft carrier


Updated on 05/27/2023 – 15:08Reading time: 3 min.

The aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford entering the Oslofjord. (What: t-online)
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A ship as big as a city. The USS Gerald Ford has arrived in Norway. As a sign of solidarity, as the United States assures. Russia sees it differently.

The USS Gerald Ford is the largest warship on earth. It is the first aircraft carrier newly developed by the US Navy in 40 years. Named after the 38th US President, it serves as a floating fortress for the American armed forces. On Wednesday, on what was only its second international voyage, it arrived in Oslo and anchored in the fjord off the Norwegian capital.

Many onlookers watched the 337 meter long ship enter the port. According to the Norwegian military, the visit is intended to expand military cooperation with the United States. Several joint exercises are planned for the coming days.

“It is a clear sign of the security guarantees we have received from NATO and of the close partnership with the United States,” said Norway’s Defense Minister Bjørn Arild Gram as the ship arrived. “This is about Norway’s security.”

Russia is concerned about the arrival of the ship

Norway borders Russia in the north for almost 200 kilometers. It is also the home of NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. Since the outbreak of the Ukraine war a year ago, numerous neighboring countries have felt threatened by the Russian Federation and its autocratic ruler Vladimir Putin. As a reaction to the Kremlin’s imperial power behavior, Finland and Sweden have asked to be admitted to NATO. The formerly neutral Finland is now a NATO member.

The Ford-class aircraft carrier can accommodate up to 90 fighter jets.
The Ford-class aircraft carrier can accommodate up to 90 fighter jets. (Source: Finnbarr Webster)

A US Navy spokesman said the ship’s visit to Norway will serve to stabilize strategic partnerships in Europe and help “ensure a safe and stable North Atlantic region and Arctic”. The rest of the world also benefits from this, according to Erik J. Eslich, commander of US Carrier Strike Group 12.

Russia sees it differently. “There are no problems in the region that require a military solution or even external intervention,” said Timur Chekanov, a representative of the Russian embassy in Norway. “Considering that Norway admits that Russia poses no direct threat to the country, such threatening gestures make no sense. In fact, they are harmful.”

Trump generously rounds up at the ship naming ceremony

The nuclear-powered ship is gigantic. With a length of 337 meters and a height of 76 meters, the USS Gerald Ford surpasses all previous warships. Its top speed is around 56 kilometers per hour or 30 knots. It features radar-guided anti-aircraft systems, large-caliber naval guns to counter aerial attacks, and an electromagnetic aircraft catapult used for the first time on ships of this class.

Then-US President Donald Trump at the ship's naming ceremony in 2017 at a shipyard in Norfolk, Virginia.
Then-US President Donald Trump at the ship’s naming ceremony in 2017 at a shipyard in Norfolk, Virginia. (Source: AFP Contributor)

With it, airplanes with a weight of up to 50 tons can be brought to a speed of 200 kilometers per hour. The length of the runway required for this is less than a hundred meters. The aircraft carrier offers space for a good 90 combat aircraft and helicopters. The cost of development, construction and testing amounts to more than 18 billion US dollars.

The ship was put into service in 2017. “American hands and American steel created a 100,000-ton message to the world,” said then-US President Donald Trump at the ship’s naming ceremony. “America’s power is unmatched.” In fact, just over 90,000 tons of steel were needed for the ship. So Trump rounded up generously.


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