After several weeks of speculation about its operational status, it has been confirmed that the U.S. Navy aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) is once again operating in the Red Sea, having rejoined the area of responsibility of U.S. Central Command (USCENTCOM). According to information released in recent hours, the Ford departed the eastern Mediterranean Sea alongside its escort ships late last week, subsequently completing its transit through the Suez Canal before rejoining the theater of operations.
The aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford set sail on April 2 from Split, Croatia, after undergoing a period of maintenance and repairs. Specifically, in mid-March, the ship—the lead vessel of its class—suffered a non-combat-related fire in the laundry area, an incident that caused damage and forced it to suspend its activities in the Middle East theater of operations to begin technical inspections and restoration work. In that context, toward the end of the same month, the CVN-78 arrived at Souda Bay, where it carried out resupply, refueling, and repair tasks.
The port call in Greece lasted from March 23 to 26, during which time personnel from the Forward Deployed Regional Maintenance Center, including structural engineers, naval architects, and other specialists, conducted a repair assessment while investigations into the incident continued.
Following that, on the 28th, the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford arrived at the port of Split, Croatia, as part of a logistical and diplomatic stopover, marking a brief pause before continuing its deployment to one of the theaters of operations that has continued to make headlines in recent weeks.
Beyond the incident, one of the aspects that has marked the USS Gerald R. Ford’s presence in the region has been the length of its deployment, which recently reached 297 days, making it one of the longest for a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier. According to estimates by naval officials, the ship could remain deployed for a period of nearly 11 months.
Currently, the Ford is joining an operational theater where the USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) Carrier Strike Group and the USS Tripoli (LHA-7) Amphibious Ready Group are already deployed, reinforcing the U.S. naval presence in the CENTCOM area. At the same time, a third carrier strike group, led by the USS George H.W. Bush (CVN-77), is expected to arrive; the ship is currently sailing around the southern tip of Africa en route to the Middle East, which would result in a significant concentration of U.S. naval power in the region.
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