On July 22nd in Norfolk, Virginia, Trump commissioned a new aircraft carrier in honor of Gerald R. Ford, the 38th president of the United States. Trump boasted about the United States’ military strength by saying “American might is second to none, and we're getting bigger and better and stronger every day of my administration. That I can tell you”. He believes that our allies will be at ease and our enemies will “shake with fear” at the very sight of the Ford. As a part of “Made in America” week, Trump proudly mentioned that the 12.9 billion dollar ship was constructed by American hands and with American steel. Trump asked God to “bless and guide this warship and all who shall sail in her.” Gerald Ford’s daughter, Susan Ford Bales, was present and gave the commissioning command for her father's ship: “‘Officers and crew of the United States Gerald R. Ford, man our ship and bring her to life.'”
The ship’s construction started in 2009 and was supposed to be completed by September of 2015. The ship was supposed to cost 10.5 billion dollars, but advanced technologies, like electromagnetic launch systems, are responsible for the delays and the extra 2.4 billion dollars. Since so much money was spent on this ship, he told the navy to use steam catapults in the future to launch fighter jets because some of the USS Ford’s technology “costs hundreds of millions of dollars more money and it's no good.” Although a big expense, Trump is hoping to make the American military appear strong to the world by presenting such an advanced ship.
The ship has a small island on the back to help planes refuel, re-arm, and relaunch. It also has a power plant on board which allows cruising speeds of more than 30 knots( 34.5234 mph) and, it won’t need to be refueled for 20 years. It will eventually house 2,600 crew members when it is up and running. Trump used the presence of the ship to persuade lawmakers to approve his request for an additional 54 billion dollars to go toward military spending. Trump is trying to get the military the best equipment for the best prices.
Sources to view:
To learn more about the features on the aircraft carrier: http://www.foxnews.com/tech/2017/07/21/uss-gerald-r-ford-inside-worlds-most-advanced-aircraft-carrier.html
To hear about opinions, the progress of the ship, and advancements:
To learn about Trump’s plans on military spending and to read the main points of his commissioning speech:
Questions:
- After already spending so much money on the aircraft carrier, should the government invest another $54 billion into the military?
- Was building the expensive aircraft carrier a strong military move for America, or was it a waste of money?
- Will other countries find America threatening or provocative?
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