Just over a week after the start of Operation Epic Fury by the United States and Israel, and following continuous attacks against Iranian territory—which have also extended to naval targets of the Iranian Navy—it was recently confirmed that the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78), along with combat ships from its Carrier Strike Group, is now operating from the Red Sea after successfully transiting the Suez Canal.
Although no further information was provided, the news was confirmed by the United States Navy (US Navy) itself, which officially shared a series of photographs showing the lead ship of the Gerald R. Ford-class, and the most modern aircraft carrier in its fleet, crossing the Suez Canal and entering the waters of the Red Sea.
In this regard, it should be noted that prior to this development, the Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group had been operating in the Eastern Mediterranean since before the start of Operation Epic Fury, with its arrival off the coast of Israel recorded around February 27, approximately one day before the beginning of the strikes against Iran.
The presence of this nuclear-powered aircraft carrier in the Middle East, operating alongside other high-value strategic assets such as the USS Abraham Lincoln, a Nimitz-class carrier, under the Area of Responsibility of the United States Central Command (CENTCOM), forms part of an extended deployment that has now lasted more than two hundred days and has previously seen the ship operate in the North Atlantic and the Caribbean.
In the latter case, it was one of the main assets deployed by the United States during Operation Southern Spear, which concluded on January 3 with the capture of the president of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, following a major raid on Caracas.
Having completed its transit of the Suez Canal and now operating in the waters of the Red Sea, it is presumed that the aircraft carrier—together with its embarked air wing, which has played an active role in the air operations against Iran—will project its presence toward the Arabian Sea, adding further pressure on the Iranian regime. These operations have reportedly resulted in the destruction of land-based targets such as launchers, arsenals, and production facilities for ballistic missiles and drones, as well as air defense systems and, according to the most recent reports, naval assets in various parts of the region.
Finally, it should also be noted that new rumors began circulating yesterday suggesting that the United States government is considering the possibility of deploying a third nuclear-powered aircraft carrier to the Middle East. However, it remains unclear whether this would be intended to reinforce the two carriers currently operating in the region or, alternatively, to relieve either the USS Gerald R. Ford or the USS Abraham Lincoln.
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