Washington, May 17: The USS Gerald R. Ford, the United States aircraft carrier, has returned home after a lengthy deployment of 326 days. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth shared emotional images of the sailors’ return on social media, where he was also present to welcome them back. The ship carried approximately 5,000 crew members.
The carrier was initially deployed to the Middle East before tensions escalated with Iran. According to the Pentagon, this deployment marked the longest for a U.S. aircraft carrier strike group since the Vietnam War. Hegseth was in Norfolk, Virginia, to greet the world’s largest aircraft carrier upon its return.
In a statement to the media, he praised the extraordinary work accomplished by the carrier during its mission. Throughout its deployment, the Ford participated in U.S. operations in the Caribbean, where American forces targeted alleged drug trafficking vessels, intercepted sanctioned tankers, and took part in efforts to capture Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro. The ship was later sent to the Middle East to engage in military operations against Iran.
The deployment was not without challenges, including a fire in the laundry area in March and various technical issues. Typically, aircraft carrier deployments are shorter, but this mission extended for 11 months. Reports indicated prior issues with the ship’s toilets, and during the Iran conflict, a fire in the laundry area took about 30 hours to extinguish.
According to the Pentagon, after departing Virginia last June, the ship traveled through the Atlantic, Mediterranean, and reached Norway before being sent to the Caribbean for operations against Venezuela and later to the Middle East during the Iran conflict.
Bhupendra Singh Chundawat is a seasoned technology journalist with over 22 years of experience in the media industry. He specializes in covering the global technology landscape, with a deep focus on manufacturing trends and the geopolitical impact on tech companies. Currently serving as the Editor at Udaipur Kiran, his insights are shaped by decades of hands-on reporting and editorial leadership in the fast-evolving world of technology.