According to information published by the US DoD on April 7, 2023, the Sailors, ships, squadrons, and staffs of the Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group (GRFCSG) successfully completed composite training unit exercise (COMPTUEX).
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The aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford. (Picture source: US DoD)
COMPTUEX, orchestrated by the Carrier Strike Group (CSG) 4, is a certification exercise conducted during the integrated phase of the Optimized Fleet Response Plan.
It is designed to fully integrate the GRFCSG, under the command of CSG 12, as a cohesive, multi-mission fighting force and test the strike group’s ability to carry out sustained combat operations from the sea.
COMPTUEX lasts several weeks, during which units are tested on their proficiency and readiness through scenario-based, live training, that increases in complexity and intensity.
The exercise allowed the ships, aircraft, and staffs to work together in response to specific scenarios across all warfare areas, and to refine their ability to communicate and fight alongside one another in a realistic training environment that included academic, synthetic and live training events.
About the USS Gerard
The USS Gerald R. Ford is a Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carrier. She has a displacement of approximately 100,000 long tons (100,000 tonnes) at full load, and a length of between 1,092 ft (333 m) and 1,106 ft (337 m), depending on the source.
Its beam is 134 ft (41 m) at the waterline and 256 ft (78 m) at the flight deck. The ship has a height of 250 ft (76 m) and 25 decks. It is powered by two Bechtel A1B PWR nuclear reactors with HEU 93.5%, which allows her to reach speeds of over 30 knots (56 km/h; 35 mph).
The ship has a range of unlimited miles and is expected to last for 20-25 years. The USS Gerald R. Ford can carry a complement of 4,539 people, including her air wing, and can accommodate up to 75 aircraft.
She is equipped with AN/SPY-3 Multi-Function Radar (MFR) X band active electronically scanned array, AN/SPY-4 Volume Search Radar (VSR) S band active electronically scanned array, and armaments that include 2 × RIM-162 ESSM launchers, 2 × RIM-116 RAM surface-to-air missiles, 3 × Phalanx CIWS guns, 4 × Mk 38 25 mm Machine Gun Systems, and 4 × M2 .50 Cal. (12.7 mm) machine guns. The USS Gerald R. Ford has a flight deck of 1,092 ft × 256 ft (333 m × 78 m) to accommodate its aviation facilities.
The carrier, accompanied by its Carrier Strike Group 12, has been conducted operations and training exercises alongside NATO allies and partners, including port visits to Canada and the United Kingdom.
