The Ford sits in the graving dock at the northwest end of the Newport News Shipbuilding shipyard. The dock, big enough to hold two carriers, was originally built to construct commercial tankers, a business the yard no longer handles.

On the flight deck, protective sheds cover three of the four electromagnetic aircraft launch system (EMALS) catapults, an new technology that will appear for the first time on the Ford-class carriers.

A closer view of the bow. The projecting structure at right will hold defensive weapons systems.

A glimpse into the hangar deck through the port elevator, which is in the raised position. Note the extensive staging below the hangar overhead (ceiling) to allow work to continue.

A view up the port side from right aft. The stern configuration is noticeably different from the Nimitz class. The flight deck is much larger aft on both sides to compensate for the island structure being placed further aft, resulting in enormous overhangs on both sides.

The ship’s stern still features the boat stages familiar to generations of carrier sailors.

The ship’s vast aircraft hangar stretches in the distance. In this view looking forward, the port elevator is at left.

Scaffolding and sheeting cover the ship’s island superstructure, where the fifth of six panels of the dual-band radar was being installed. The navigation bridge windows are above the dark green sheeting, with primary flight control (PriFly) a deck higher at right.

The navigating bridge, on the 08 level, is considerably smaller than the bridge on Nimitz-class carriers.

A tighter view of the forward flight deck, showing the sheds over catapults 1 and 2. The cats are numbered right to left, starboard to port.

The trough that will hold the No. 3 EMALS catapult.

Looking aft at the ship’s No. 2 aircraft elevator.

An aerial view of Newport News Shipbuilding on June 20, 2013, as the Enterprise (at bottom), is brought to her pier. Just above her is the Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71), finishing up her refueling overhaul. She left Newport News on Aug. 25 to return to the fleet. The Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) is in Drydock 11, just past the floating drydock that juts into the James River at left. At top, behind the blue crane and to the right of the big blue gantry crane, is the Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78), under construction in the yard’s graving dock. (Huntington Ingalls Industries photo by John Whalen)