The U.S. Navy’s nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) has redeployed to the Caribbean as part of the military operation Southern Spear, after real-time reports indicated that the vessel departed from Frenchman’s Cove, in St. Thomas, heading southeast. This latest movement of the nuclear aircraft carrier—one of the main assets of Carrier Strike Group 12 (CSG-12)—further deepens the U.S. deployment within the area of responsibility of U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM), in the context of maritime surveillance and security operations that the fleet has been providing.
The resumption of the Gerald R. Ford’s operations comes just days after its scheduled stop in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, visited by the crew after completing an intense phase of aerial exercises and combined operations in the Caribbean. As previously reported by Zona Militar, the aircraft carrier had entered the region on November 16 after crossing the Anegada Passage, initiating a series of missions aimed at interdicting transnational criminal networks and reinforcing the U.S. deterrent presence in the hemisphere.
The new movement of CVN-78 coincides with a sustained increase in flight activity aboard the vessel in recent days. Aircraft from Carrier Air Wing 8 (CVW-8) —including F/A-18E/F Super Hornet fighters, EA-18G Growler attack aircraft, and E-2D Advanced Hawkeye early-warning planes—have been conducting landing and relaunch operations during their stay in the Caribbean, maintaining the high level of readiness required for missions involving surveillance, maritime domain control, and rapid response.
According to recent developments, the Gerald R. Ford had already taken part in joint maneuvers and strategic messaging with a B-52H Stratofortress strategic bomber on November 13, an exercise that integrated carrier-based airpower with long-range assets. The departure from St. Thomas may signal a new phase of operational activity within the Southern Spear campaign, which seeks to strengthen detection, interdiction, and rapid-action capabilities in response to evolving security dynamics in the Caribbean Sea—and in particular, regarding Venezuela.
The aircraft carrier’s movement is also complemented by the amphibious deployment led by the USS Iwo Jima (LHD-7) and the active presence of the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit, which in recent weeks has been conducting artillery drills, live-fire exercises, and embarked operations in the Caribbean. The integration between CSG-12 and the Marine Corps’ expeditionary forces aims to reflect a combined strategy that enables multidomain operations across various areas of Carrier Strike Group 12’s theater of operations.
Although the immediate destination of the Gerald R. Ford after heading southeast has not yet been officially reported, the carrier’s ongoing activity in the region indicates that the U.S. Navy is maintaining a sustained operational tempo within SOUTHCOM’s area. CVN-78’s transit will be monitored in the coming hours by maritime tracking platforms and U.S. military sources.
Photos used for illustrative purposes.
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