The world’s largest warship, the aircraft carrier USS “Gerald R. Ford”, is reportedly on its way to the Norwegian Sea and the North Sea to take part in an exercise in a few weeks. The move is part of NATO’s need to strengthen its northern flank against Russia and send a strong signal to Putin not to attempt further aggression or expansion.

The “Gerald R. Ford” has a strike force that is significantly greater than the Norwegian air force, with a capacity of up to 90 aircraft and helicopters. In addition, US aircraft carriers are also surrounded by a battle group of support vessels which reportedly also consist of at least one submarine guarding the underside of the aircraft carrier.

The battle group naturally carries a formidable arsenal of conventional weapons, but is very likely also equipped with tactical and strategic nuclear weapons. It is reasonable to speculate whether this movement has been triggered by Putin’s threats to use nuclear weapons in Donbas. Russia has nothing to offer against such a battle group.

USS “Gerald R. Ford” is powered by two nuclear reactors, can reach a top speed of more than 30 knots and has a crew of 4,500. It is the first ship of the new Gerald R. Ford class that will replace the Nimitz class after their 50 years in service, the US plans to build a total of ten ships by 2058.