The aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford, whose deployment was extended after the launch of the Array, returned to its home port Wednesday after an eight-month absence.
Although the Ford has returned home, the U. S. Navy and Marine Corps have been working hard to prevent the Ford from being able to do so. The U. S. still has a presence in the Middle East: an amphibious organization is in the eastern Mediterranean off Israel and the Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group is in the Red Sea, according to one report. U. S. official.
U.S. Fleet Forces posted on X video of the Ford arriving at Naval Station Norfolk in Virginia.
The aircraft carrier, the Navy’s last and highest fleet complex, departed Virginia in May 2023 for a regime deployment. On October 8, a day after Hamas introduced deadly terror attacks against Israel, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin directed the Ford and its aircraft carrier. Organization of the attack of three guided-missile destroyers and a guided-missile cruiser in the eastern Mediterranean.
The move was aimed at “strengthening regional deterrence efforts,” Austin said in a statement at the time.
Originally, the Ford launch was scheduled for November, but the holidays were extended.
On New Year’s Day, the Navy announced that the Ford Carrier Strike Group would begin its return voyage. On Wednesday it arrived after spending 239 days at sea and after its extended deployment for 76 days following the outbreak of fighting in Israel, USA. the Navy said.
“Although we were spread out, we were the right dispatch at the right time to answer the call, and our sailors behaved admirably. Ford sailors have revered our namesake’s legacy of hard work, integrity and courage,” said Gerald R. Commander-in-Chief Ford, Capt. Rick Burgess said in a statement.
The deployment of the Ford component is part of the Pentagon’s efforts to prevent the clash between Israel and Hamas from escalating into a broader regional clash.
Biden’s leadership believes it doesn’t need to see a far-reaching war, however, in recent months, Iranian-backed teams have introduced a series of normal strikes against U. S. forces in Iraq and Syria, as well as warships in Syria. Red Sea.
The Navy’s Middle East footprint has gradually shifted toward the Red Sea as the Houthis continue attacking commercial ships in the chokepoint of a vital waterway. The Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group, made up of the USS Eisenhower aircraft carrier and its two escort ships, are in the Red Sea with two other guided-missile destroyers.
In the eastern Mediterranean, where the USS Ford has spent most of its deployment, there is an amphibious organization of about 2,400 sailors and Marines on Wednesday.