The US Navy's newest aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, successfully launched and recovered a fighter jet for the first time. http://cnn.it/2vi7tCm | CNN International

Take a look at the first-in-class aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford - CVN 78. Ford and embarked Carrier Air Wing 8 recently completed integrated carrier strike group operations, under the operational control of Carrier Strike Group 12. Read More: https://go.usa.gov/x7vne | U.S. Navy

Sailors from the USS Gerald R. Ford are arriving in St. Thomas for several days of rest and recuperation, stepping off the massive aircraft carrier onto smaller boats before heading ashore. The world’s largest warship brings more than 4,000 personnel to the territory, giving St. Thomas an immediate economic lift as crew members, officers, and visiting families fan out across the island. Hotels, restaurants, taxis, and tour operators are all seeing a surge as the carrier settles in for its multi-