NORFOLK, Va. — High honors go to the officers and sailors of the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford.
The Ford on Monday was named the best all-around ship in the Atlantic Fleet, winning this year's Battenberg Cup.
The Ford won the award after exhibiting what the Navy called "superior battle efficiency" during the 2023 calendar year.
Fleet Forces Admiral Daryl Caudle did the honors on the flight deck of the ship.
"The ship just performed brilliantly, meeting all of its milestones on or ahead of time, its maiden deployment. And gets over to the Mediterranean and just crushes the deployment," he said.
Added Captain Rick Burgess, USS Gerald R. Ford Commanding Officer: "I'm really proud of my crew. The Battenberg Cup is special. And in many ways, it's unique.
Since 1977, the Battenberg Cup award has been presented annually to the ship or submarine selected by the fleet commander as the best all-around in the Atlantic Fleet, based on crew achievements.
The $13 billion Ford was built at Newport News Shipbuilding and was commissioned in 2017.