The United States Navy’s newest, largest and most capable nuclear-powered supercarrier entered the Red Sea on Friday after transiting the Suez Canal for the first time.
The USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) is now officially operating in U.S. Central Command’s area of responsibility, even as it has been supporting the ongoing Operation Epic Fury from the eastern Mediterranean, where it arrived last month.
This marks the first deployment to the Middle East for CVN-78, and the furthest the aircraft carrier has traveled from the United States since it entered service with the U.S. Navy in July 2017.
During the warship’s previous extended deployment in 2023, USS Gerald R. Ford operated in the Mediterranean, with several of the escort ships in Carrier Strike Group 12 dispatched to the Red Sea to protect commercial shipping.
Then-U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin directed CSG-12 to the region following the October 7 terrorist attacks on southern Israel to deter escalation, and to counter missiles and drones fired by the Iranian-backed Houthi militant group operating in Yemen.
Since the start of the current conflict with Iran, which began on February 28, the Houthis have expressed support for Tehran, yet have not resumed their attacks on shipping in the region.
Long deployment further extended
As of Saturday, USS Gerald R. Ford has been at sea for 255 days, exceeding the previous deployment that finally ended on January 17, 2024, after CVN-78 spent a total of 239 days away from her homeport of Norfolk, Virginia.
The current mission could stretch to 11 months, with the supercarrier unlikely to return home until May, Vice Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Jim Kilby told lawmakers on Wednesday.
“That extension will ultimately be about an 11-month deployment,” Kilby told the Senate Armed Services Committee’s subcommittee on readiness and management support, according to USNI News. “So there’ll be an impact on her return and the schedule for her maintenance availability so she’s ready to go again,” he added. “The good part about our public shipyards is they’re adjusting that schedule. They’re ready to bring our carrier back and maintain her.”
CVN-78 departed from Norfolk on June 24, 2025.
Even if the deployment is cut short, by mid-April, USS Gerald R. Ford will still have broken the post-Vietnam War record set by USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) in 2019-2020 of 294 days at sea. By early May, CVN-78 could see a deployment as long as those during the Vietnam War, when U.S. Navy carriers spent 300 days or longer operating in the Gulf of Tonkin.
USS Gerald R. Ford Conducts Operations in Support of Operation Epic Fury
An F/A-18F Super Hornet aircraft, attached to Strike Fighter Squadron 213, lands on the flight deck of the world’s largest aircraft carrier, USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78), while operating in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea in support of Operation Epic Fury, March 2, 2026.
(U.S. NAVY PHOTO)
The conventionally-powered USS Midway (CVA-41) holds the record for 332 days at sea during its 1972-73 deployment. The extended, nearly year-long deployment supported operations during the conflict in Southeast Asia, including the intensified air campaigns against North Vietnam in 1972.
Keeping The Crew Fed
Even as nuclear-powered warships have unlimited range and endurance, the crew still needs to eat, and the aircraft need fuel. However, the U.S. Navy has that covered.
“The carrier and its crew can be resupplied by air and logistics ships so that it can remain at sea for a very long time.
This is combat, and the crew is ready to execute the mission,” explained Brent Sadler, senior research fellow for Naval Warfare and Advanced Technology in the Allison Center for National Security at the Heritage Foundation.
He added that CVN-78’s extended deployment was largely unavoidable.
“We have too few of these ships for a major war,” said Sadler.
Wear And Tear On The Ship, And On The Crew
The downside of such a lengthy deployment is that it is certain to take a toll on the supercarrier, which will require an extended post-deployment maintenance period. Even as Kirby said the shipyards will adjust as needed, the extended time at sea may impact planned upgrades for the carrier.
“Another area for consideration is the limited capabilities to conduct maintenance on the aircraft stationed on the Ford, as well as the vessel itself,” said Lewis Galvin, lead Americas analyst at private intelligence firm Sibylline.
Any mishaps will further complicate matters.
“Repairs are possible while on deployment, but extensive damage will likely have to be addressed post-deployment,” Galvin noted.
However, it isn’t just the wear and tear on the ship that is a concern. The record-setting deployment may impact the personnel onboard.
“Crew morale and fatigue are the primary concerns at the moment,” Galvin said in an email, noting that the USS Gerald R. Ford was initially scheduled to end its deployment in early March.
“Several problems on aircraft carriers have been reported in recent years,” warned Galvin. “In 2022, the crash of an F-35C on the USS Carl Vinson was attributed to pilot workload and decision-making under pressure. In 2016, an E-2C Hawkeye was damaged on the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, with a subsequent investigation citing procedural mistakes. This risk is elevated if deployments are protracted.” (Forbes)
