Largest US aircraft carrier to return home after record-breaking deployment

Published on 30/04/2026 - 11:35 GMT+2

The USS Gerald R Ford is returning to the United States aft much than 300 days astatine oversea — the longest deployment of immoderate American craft bearer since the Cold War — pursuing operations successful the Iran warfare and the ngo successful Venezuela that resulted successful the seizure of Nicolás Maduro.

It is unclear erstwhile precisely the Ford is expected to permission the Middle East, but it volition instrumentality to its location larboard successful Virginia successful mid-May, according to officials who spoke connected information of anonymity.

The Ford, wide considered the world's astir almighty and precocious craft carrier, departed from Naval Station Norfolk successful precocious June 2025 and archetypal headed to the Mediterranean Sea. The vessel was past rerouted to the Caribbean successful October.

The craft bearer was forced to crook backmost to the Mediterranean past period for repairs and attraction aft a occurrence broke retired successful its laundry country connected 12 March, docking successful a larboard successful Greece.

The Ford was subsequently transferred to Croatia, wherever it underwent further repairs.

With a displacement of 100,000 tonnes and a magnitude of 334 metres, it features a formation platform susceptible of accommodating much than 75 jets, though it usually operates with an aerial helping of 60-70 aircraft.

The Ford's 295th time astatine oversea broke the erstwhile post-Cold War grounds of 294 days, acceptable by the USS Abraham Lincoln successful 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to information compiled by the US Naval Institute.

The wide grounds for longest deployment is held by the USS Midway, which was astatine oversea for 332 days during the Vietnam War.

Three US craft carriers are presently deployed to the Middle East — a fig not seen since 2003.

The USS Abraham Lincoln has been successful the portion since January. The USS George HW Bush arrived past week and is heading to the Arabian Sea to enactment the US blockade of Iranian ports.