The U.S. Aircraft Carrier is Trapped in a "Dead Loop" of Extended Deployment

[Global Times Comprehensive Report] According to a report from the British "Jane's Defence Weekly" website on the 13th, the U.S. aircraft carrier "Ford" has officially entered the dock to begin its first "planned incremental maintenance." Having just set a record for the longest overseas deployment of a U.S. aircraft carrier since the Vietnam War, combined with various malfunctions and equipment damage encountered during the deployment, the maintenance time for this carrier may far exceed expectations. Worse still, similar cases of U.S. aircraft carriers exceeding their deployment time are becoming increasingly common, highlighting the growing ambition of the Pentagon for global deployment, while the contradiction between the U.S. Navy's available number of carriers and its operational demands is intensifying.

Reports indicate that the "Ford" entered the Norfolk Naval Shipyard dock on July 7 to begin "planned incremental maintenance." Captain Kavan Hakimzadeh, the head of the Norfolk Naval Shipyard, stated that the biggest challenge of this maintenance for the "Ford" is that it is the first maintenance operation since the new class of aircraft carriers entered service, and it is unclear what situations will be faced when starting this maintenance work. U.S. Navy officials noted that the "Ford" had just completed a 326-day overseas deployment, the longest continuous deployment of an aircraft carrier by the U.S. military since the Vietnam War, spanning multiple regions including the Mediterranean Sea, Caribbean Sea, and Red Sea. The report states that the "Ford" will be deployed from June 2025 to May 2026, during which it will make four transatlantic crossings, first traveling from Norfolk to the North Sea for exercises, and then heading to the Caribbean for operations aimed at forcibly controlling Venezuelan President Maduro in January of this year. The carrier was then urgently redeployed to the Eastern Mediterranean, participating in attacks against Iran on February 28, and did not return to Norfolk until May 16. During such an extended deployment, the carrier experienced various malfunctions and incidents, including widespread toilet blockages and a severe fire that lasted over 30 hours.

The U.S. "Stars and Stripes" reported that the "Ford" is the lead ship of its class, launched in 2013 and commissioned in 2017. This docked "planned incremental maintenance" will mainly involve comprehensive maintenance, repairs, and modernization, encompassing a wide range of major repairs and inspections. Additionally, during this process, the compartments damaged during the fire incident while deployed will also be repaired.

Reports indicate that such maintenance for U.S. aircraft carriers typically requires several months. For example, the "Nimitz" aircraft carrier began "planned incremental maintenance" in January 2024 and completed it in July of the same year. CNN stated that the maintenance time for the "Ford" may be much longer, with at least a year before it can go to sea again, primarily due to its record-breaking continuous deployment of 326 days and the need to address various issues encountered during the extended overseas deployment. Some U.S. military experts believe that due to wear and tear from prolonged high-intensity operations and "maintenance debt" (such as repairs to the electromagnetic catapult and piping systems), the maintenance time for the "Ford" could last up to 14 months.

It is noted that the standard overseas deployment cycle for U.S. aircraft carriers is usually six months, but in recent years, the deployment times of U.S. carriers have far exceeded this standard, repeatedly setting new records. For instance, the "Truman" aircraft carrier was deployed for 285 days continuously in 2021 and again for 285 days in 2022. The "Eisenhower" was deployed continuously for 275 days from October 2023 to July 2024. Particularly notable is the "Lincoln," which was deployed continuously for 295 days in 2020, a record that stood until the "Ford" broke it with this deployment. Since its deployment in November 2025, it has been at sea for over 210 days. Especially unique is that during the overseas deployment cycle of U.S. aircraft carriers, they typically dock for rest every 30-45 days, but due to its combat mission with Iran, the "Lincoln" has not docked for over six months.

Experts believe that the frequent occurrence of extended deployments of U.S. aircraft carriers has deeper underlying reasons. The Pentagon's global strategy requires maintaining a fleet of 11 carriers and sustaining a forward presence in key maritime areas. In recent years, the U.S. has participated in several significant regional conflicts, leading to a sharp increase in the demand for U.S. aircraft carriers. Meanwhile, the existing carriers are becoming increasingly outdated, the construction of new carriers is severely lagging, and the maintenance capacity in the docks is declining, resulting in a continuous decrease in the number of carriers available for the U.S. Navy. The result is an increasing number of extended deployments, which in turn adds extra wear and increases the maintenance burden, creating a "vicious cycle" with no remedy. (Chen Shan)