The future USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) returned from Builder's Sea Trials to Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia on April 14 after seven days at sea.

During this initial at-sea period, Ford's crew, representatives from Huntington Ingalls Industries-Newport News Shipbuilding, the Navy's CVN 78 Program Office, the Navy's Supervisor of Shipbuilding, Conversion and Repair and various technical subject matter experts demonstrated many of the ship's capabilities including tracking aircraft using the Dual Band Radar, conducting "no load" cycles using the new electromagnetic aircraft launch system (EMALS) and small boat operations.