The USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78), the most modern and advanced nuclear-powered aircraft carrier of the United States Navy (US Navy), currently deployed in the U.S. Southern Command (USSOUTHCOM) area of responsibility, arrived on December 1 at the port of St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands after completing a series of drills and operations in the Caribbean. The carrier’s arrival is part of a scheduled port visit intended to provide rest for the crew after weeks of intense operational activity under Operation Southern Spear, according to official statements from the U.S. Navy, following the unit’s relocation from the Mediterranean toward the Atlantic.
The arrival of the USS Gerald R. Ford comes at a key point in its deployment. The carrier entered the Caribbean on November 16 after crossing the Anegada Passage earlier this month, when it was confirmed that Carrier Strike Group 12 (CSG-12) was heading toward the Caribbean Sea to support a mission focused on maritime security and counter-narcotics operations. Shortly thereafter, it was reported that the flagship had begun operations, marking the start of an intensive training phase and deterrent presence in support of the objectives of the Department of Defense.
According to information from the U.S. Department of Defense, the Super Hornets operated alongside the B-52H as part of a multidomain joint force, demonstrating the strike group’s ability to coordinate with long-range strategic air platforms.
However, as the days passed, the USS Gerald R. Ford once again demonstrated some of the capabilities provided by CVW-8. As reported in recent days, the CVN-78 was the scene of deployments and landings of F/A-18 Super Hornet fighters, which reaffirmed for the U.S. Navy the versatility of carrier-based air wings and their role in conducting surveillance, interdiction, and maritime security operations.
The current deployment of the Gerald R. Ford has been one of the unit’s most extensive since entering service. After departing Norfolk on June 24, the carrier operated in the North Atlantic, participated in NATO surveillance activities Neptune Strike 25-2 and 25-3, and made port calls in Croatia, France, Germany, Norway, and Spain before entering the Mediterranean and later beginning its transit toward the Caribbean through the Strait of Gibraltar on November 4.
The carrier strike group also includes amphibious forces such as USS Iwo Jima, as well as guided-missile destroyers including USS Bainbridge (DDG 96), USS Mahan (DDG 72), and USS Winston S. Churchill (DDG 81). Its embarked air wing consists of F/A-18E/F Super Hornet fighters, EA-18G Growler electronic warfare aircraft, E-2D Advanced Hawkeye airborne early warning aircraft, and MH-60 Sea Hawk helicopters.
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