The United States Navy CVN-21 program ("21st Century Aircraft Carrier") is the next generation supercarrier for the United States Navy. Before its redesignation as the CVN-21 carrier program this project was known by the initials CVNX carrier program. It should not be confused with CV 21, the hull designation for the post-World War II carrier USS Boxer, which was in service from 1945-1969.

Carriers of the CVN-21 class will incorporate many new design features including a new nuclear reactor design (the A1B reactor), stealthier features to help reduce radar profile, electromagnetic catapults, advanced arresting gear, and reduced crewing requirements. The U.S. Navy believes that with the addition of the most modern equipment and extensive use of automation they will be able to reduce the total cost of future aircraft carriers. If the Navy can reduce the cost of constructing and maintaining an aircraft carrier, they will overcome the biggest complaint received in the U.S. Congress — that of funding.

The first hull of the CVN-21 (formerly CVNX) line will be CVN-78. The CVN-21 uses the basic hull design of the preceding Nimitz-class, though that is where the similarities will end.

As of October 2005, one CVN-21 is planned to start construction in 2007 and finish in 2015. It is estimated to cost at least $13 billion, but this includes the $5 billion spent on R&D and is not representative of the cost of future members of the class.

Units

• CVN 78, unnamed (2015) *possibly USS Enterprise, however Senator John Warner has introduced a Senate bill advocating naming the ship after former President Gerald Ford (see article for details)*
• CVN 79, unnamed (2018)
• CVN 80, unnamed (2021)

External links

• Defense Industry Daily: Design & Preparations Continue for the USA's New CVN-21 Super-Carrier (updated). Provides an extensive briefing re: the new ship class, and adds entries for many of the contracts under this program.

• Defense Industry Daily: Costing the CVN-21: A DID Primer. Covers the true costs of the CVN-21, how those are calculated, and where the $5 billion savings on operational costs is expected to come from over the ship's planned 50-year lifetime.

• Navy Fact File: Aircraft Carriers – CVN 21 Program

See also

• Royal Navy CVF programme
• Future French aircraft carrier

Future aircraft carriers | Modern aircraft carriers of the United States | United States Navy aircraft carriers

CVN-21-Programm | CVN-21 | CVN 21級核動力航空母艦