In recent hours, various sources reported that the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) of the United States Navy (US Navy) continues sailing eastward through the Mediterranean Sea as part of the reinforcement of the U.S. naval posture toward the Middle East. As its transit continues, multiple reports and open sources place it making a stop in Greece prior to a possible arrival in Israel.
During the early hours of the day, several outlets indicated that the USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) would be en route toward the vicinity of Israel’s coastline as its final destination. Although this information was reportedly revealed by an official security source, there has so far been no official confirmation from the U.S. Department of Defense regarding a specific positioning off Israel or an immediate integration into operations in that area. Days earlier, reports and observers had located the carrier crossing the Strait of Gibraltar.
Stopover in Greece
Parallel to its possible arrival off Israel’s coast, various sources have recently reported that the carrier is making a stop at Souda Bay, Greece, a facility that regularly serves as a logistical hub for U.S. units transiting toward the Middle East. The visit to that base would respond to support requirements and would not necessarily imply a modification of the current deployment.
A deployment exceeding 200 days
It is worth recalling that the U.S. Navy aircraft carrier began its redeployment from the Caribbean toward the Middle East in mid-January, when the U.S. government decided to reinforce the presence of military assets within the U.S. Central Command (USCENTCOM) area of responsibility, which already had the USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) Carrier Strike Group operating in the region. This move is partly due to the hardening of rhetoric toward Iran over its nuclear program, along with the increase in military activity and assets in the area.
The simultaneous presence of two aircraft carriers in the region is not common, reflecting the strategic priority Washington has assigned to the Middle East theater at a time when other strategic scenarios also demand U.S. attention, sending a clear political message defined by the immediate response capability that the United States can deploy in the event of an escalation.
By way of review, the CVN-78 Carrier Strike Group departed from the U.S. Southern Command (USSOUTHCOM) area of responsibility, where it had been operating as part of Operation Southern Spear, which concluded earlier this year with the capture of Venezuela’s president, Nicolás Maduro. Both the carrier and its escorts had arrived in that region in early November 2025 to join other U.S. Navy vessels and amphibious groups. With this new redirection, the aircraft carrier would extend its operational deployment, surpassing two hundred days without returning to its home port, a factor that could lengthen maintenance work once it enters dry dock.
Finally, returning to the presence of the lead ship of the Ford class, its potential approach to the eastern Mediterranean must also be understood within the broader redistribution Washington has undertaken in recent weeks, which now includes not only around 15 destroyers, but also more than one hundred aircraft deployed to Europe, ranging from F-22 Raptor stealth fighters to KC-135 Stratotankers, among others.
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