The United States on Saturday commissioned a new aircraft carrier that President Donald Trump called "a 100,000-tonne message to the world."
In a stirring ceremony full of military tradition and pomp, Trump said the USS Gerald R. Ford - named after the US president from 1974-77 - will become a valued asset in the US fleet.
"Wherever this vessel cuts through the horizon, our allies will rest easy and our enemies will shake with fear because everyone will know that America is coming and America is coming strong," Trump said.
Trump told the sailors that they were about to embark on a "truly great adventure" on the ship.
"To every patriot who will serve on this ship, I say this: Keep the watch, protect her and defend her," he said. "Godspeed and good luck."
The ship, the first in a new class of carriers, is nuclear-powered and comes with a $12.9bn price tag, according to the Navy Times.
Equipped with state-of-the-art systems, it is unlikely to deploy for another five years following its "shakedown" period, during which kinks with the shipyard, engineers and crew members are to be worked out, the newspaper said.
The commissioning ceremony was held at the US naval base in Norfolk, Virginia.
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