U.S. Media: U.S. Aircraft Carrier "Ford" to Leave the Middle East and Return Home

According to a report by Reference News Network on May 2, multiple U.S. officials told The Washington Post website on April 29 that the USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier will leave the Middle East in the coming days and set sail back to the United States. This will provide a break for approximately 4,500 sailors who have been deployed for 10 months, but the withdrawal of the Ford also means that the U.S. is losing an important naval force in the Middle East due to the stalled peace negotiations between the U.S. and Iran.

The USS Ford is one of three aircraft carriers deployed in the region— the other two are the USS George H.W. Bush and the USS Abraham Lincoln. Currently, the Ford is stationed in the Red Sea, while the Lincoln and Bush are in the Arabian Sea, enforcing the U.S. blockade on vessels transporting oil or goods from Iranian ports.

An official stated that the Ford is expected to return to Virginia around mid-May.

As of April 29, the Ford has been deployed at sea for 309 days, setting a record for the longest deployment of a modern U.S. aircraft carrier, which has also led to some wear and tear on the ship. The Ford experienced a fire in the laundry room that caused injuries to several sailors, followed by partial repairs. Once the carrier returns to port, it is expected to undergo extensive maintenance and repair work.

During a congressional hearing on the 29th, several lawmakers questioned Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin about the extended deployment of the carrier, asking whether it was truly necessary for the ship and its crew to bear such a cost. They expressed concerns that keeping the Ford at sea for such a long time would not only affect its future readiness but also impact the operational status of other warships, as the dry dock capacity for maintenance is limited. Austin responded, “The difficult decision-making process led to the extension of the deployment.”

The typical deployment cycle for an aircraft carrier usually lasts six to seven months to ensure that the carrier can rotate normally according to maintenance schedules.

On June 24 last year, the U.S. Navy's newest aircraft carrier, the USS Ford, left Norfolk Naval Base for Europe. Subsequently, the Trump administration ordered the carrier to the Caribbean to assist in the U.S. blockade of Venezuelan oil exports and participated in the January operation to forcibly control Venezuelan President Maduro. The carrier's deployment was then extended and sent to the Middle East to support U.S. military operations against Iran. (Translated by Liu Xiaoyan)