— -- President Trump will address shipbuilders and sailors today on the deck of the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford in Newport News, Virginia, according to the White House.
The visit comes on the heels of Trump's proposal to increase the Defense Department's budget by $54 billion, a 10 percent increase over last year.
Named after President Gerald Ford, who served on an aircraft carrier during World War II, the USS Gerald Ford is a physical representation of the future of U.S. military power. It is the most technologically advanced warship ever built and also the most expensive, costing $12.9 billion. Its the first new design of a carrier since the Nimitz-class, first commissioned in 1975.
"She is more automated, is easier to maintain, and is able to launch missions faster than any previous carrier," according to Huntington Ingalls, a military shipbuilding company that built the USS Gerald R. Ford.
The ship is expected to go through sea trials in a few weeks and will be commissioned this summer, a Navy official told ABC News. Approximately 4,500 sailors will call the Ford home, 700 sailors fewer than a typical carrier.
The Ford will have more electrical power generation, replacing the steam catapult system currently in use, the official said. Huntington Ingalls said the ship is equipped with two newly-designed reactors and has 250 percent more electrical capacity than previous carriers.
"The Gerald R. Ford-class will be the premier forward asset for crisis response and early decisive striking power in a major combat operation," according to the Navy's website. "Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carriers and carrier strike groups will provide the core capabilities of forward presence, deterrence, sea control, power projection, maritime security and humanitarian assistance. The class brings improved warfighting capability, quality of life improvements for our Sailors and reduced total ownership costs."
Here's a look at the Ford by the numbers, according to data from Huntington Ingalls.
5,000 - American shipbuilders involved in building the Ford.
200,000 - Gallons of paint required to cover the ship; that's enough to paint the White House 350 times.
4 billion - Dollars the U.S. Navy will save over the ship's 50-year lifetime due to reduced maintenance requirements.
90,000 - The final weight of the Ford in tons, equivalent to 400 Statues of Liberty.
10 million - Feet of installed electric cable, enough to reach the International Space Station 7.6 times.
4 million - Feet of fiber optic cable, enough to reach the International Space Station 3 times.
4 million - Pounds of weld metal used to build the ship.
25 percent - Increased rate of flight missions (sorties) per day over Nimitz-class carriers.
ABC News' Luis Martinez contributed to this report.
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