The USS Gerald R. Ford, the world's largest aircraft carrier, is set to return home following a record-setting deployment lasting over 300 days, according to two U.S. officials who spoke on condition of anonymity. The carrier participated in the war against Iran and the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro. The Ford will leave the Middle East in the coming days and arrive at its home port in Virginia in mid-May. The Washington Post first reported the news.
Record Deployment Length
The Ford's deployment broke the U.S. record for the longest post-Vietnam War deployment, lasting nearly 10 months after departing Naval Station Norfolk in June. On its 295th day at sea, it surpassed the previous record of 294 days set by the USS Abraham Lincoln in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to data from the U.S. Naval Institute News. However, it falls short of the Cold War record held by the USS Midway, which deployed for 332 days in 1972-1973. The USS Nimitz crew spent 341 days away from home in 2020-2021, but that included isolation periods ashore due to COVID-19.
Operational Demands and Strain
The extended deployment has raised concerns about the impact on service members and the ship's equipment. The Ford suffered a fire in a laundry space that forced it to turn back for repairs, leaving hundreds of sailors without sleeping quarters. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told the House Armed Services Committee that operational requirements from U.S. Southern Command and Central Command demanded additional assets, leading to tough decisions and extensions.
The Ford initially headed to the Mediterranean Sea, then was rerouted to the Caribbean Sea in October for a major naval buildup. It participated in the capture of Maduro and later joined the Iran war, launching operations from the Mediterranean before transiting the Suez Canal to the Red Sea in early March. The arrival of the USS George H.W. Bush last week meant three U.S. carriers were deployed to the Middle East for the first time since 2003, amid a tenuous ceasefire with Iran.
