At Sea No One Can Hear You Scream
USS Ford (CVN-78)
Semper Fortis: Aircraft Carrier USS Gerald R. Ford Breaks Record for Longest Modern Deployment
Simon Kent
The world’s largest aircraft carrier, USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78), has set a new record for the longest post-Vietnam War-era deployment. A nearly 10-month span at sea has seen it add to both the military raid in Venezuela and Operation Epic Fury.
AP reports the warship’s 295th day out of port surpassed the previous longest deployment by an aircraft carrier in the past 50 years.
That mark was set when the USS Abraham Lincoln was sent out for 294 days in 2020 during the Chinese coronavirus pandemic, according to data compiled by U.S. Naval Institute News, a news outlet run by the U.S. Naval Institute, a nonprofit organization.
The ship carries two nuclear reactors and has a compliment of other 4,500 officers and sailors, including naval aviators for the air wing which stands at over 75 fixed and rotary-wing military aircraft.
The AP report notes some of the destinations and areas traveled by the ship:
The Ford began its deployment in June 2025, heading to the Mediterranean See from its home port in Norfolk, Virginia. The military rerouted it to the Caribbean Sea in October as part of the largest naval buildup in the region in generations.
The carrier took part in the military operation to capture then-Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. Then it would see more battle, heading toward the Middle East as tensions with Iran escalated.
The carrier took part in the opening days of the Iran war from the Mediterranean Sea before going through the Suez Canal and heading into the Red Sea in early March.
A fire in one of its laundry spaces later forced the carrier to turn around and return to the Mediterranean Sea for repairs, as Breitbart News reported.
The Navy’s two highest-ranking officers both said publicly they expect the ship to be deployed for around 11 months. That would put a return home at late next month or sometime into June.
Only 12 carriers in the fleet, and USS Nimitz (CVN-68) has just had its decommissioning pushed back until next year. The two next Ford-class carriers are under construction, but both the future USS Kennedy (CVN-79) and USS Enterprise (CVN-80) won’t see service for at least a couple of years. Both behind schedule of course.
Thanks to a Usual Suspect for the head’s up.
Category: Big Navy, Guest Link
Cool photo. Looks like the ship was cut in half.
With the size of the Ford, it could realy a ford staying out that long
I wonder if it could fit in Boston Harbor.
Back when I was a Cub Scout we toured the WASP
when it was in Boston. I got to ride the elevator a couple
of times so Yeah, I was a Naval Aviator even before I
joined the Army.
Riiiight. I camped out once. I joined the Navy.
Apologies for my misdirected sarcasm.