President Donald Trump visited the first Ford-class aircraft carrier March 2 to renew his call to expand the Navy, saying a larger fleet is needed to defend the United States.
Trump pledged to give the service more ships, including a 12th carrier, as well as new aircraft and “vastly” improved cyber capabilities.
He also reiterated his support for ending across-the-board budget cuts known as sequestration, saying a repeal would make it easier for the Navy to plan for the future so it can control costs and “get the best deals for the taxpayer” on the equipment it buys.
“Our military requires sustained, stable funding to meet the growing needs placed on our defense,” he said.
Trump spoke for about 14 minutes aboard the future USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78), which is nearing completion at Huntington Ingalls Industries [HII] Newport News Shipbuilding in Virginia. Crew members stood behind him while he delivered his remarks.
Introduced by President Ford’s daughter, Susan Ford Bales, Trump called the carrier a “great-looking ship” and a “beautiful vessel” whose “four-and-a-half acres of combat power,” including 70 aircraft and 4,500 crew members, will help deter aggressors. The ship is designed to load weapons and launch aircraft more quickly than previous carriers.
“This ship will make an extraordinary addition to the fleet,” said Trump, wearing a CVN-78 blue cap and green jacket. “It represents the future of naval aviation. This carrier and the new ships in the Ford class will expand the ability of our nation to carry out vital missions on the oceans to project American power in distant lands. Hopefully, it’s power we don’t have to use, but if we do, they’re in big, big trouble.”
The Navy plans to take delivery of the Ford in April and commission it this summer. Two more Ford-class carriers are in the works, with the USS John F. Kennedy (CVN-79) under construction and the USS Enterprise (CVN-80) scheduled to begin construction in 2018.
“We’re going to soon have more coming,” Trump said.
During the presidential campaign, Trump said he would expand the Navy to 350 ships, up from 274 today. A recent force structure assessment by the Navy calls for 355 ships.