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3w ago

USS Gerald R. Ford Sets Post‑Vietnam Record as Carrier Returns to Red Sea

The extended tour is straining maintenance and crew welfare, prompting congressional scrutiny.

The U.S. Navy aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford.
Harbour tugboats and other civilian vessels approach the U.S. Navy aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford at an anchor point off the Croatian coastal city of Split on March 28, 2026, for a scheduled port visit and maintenance stop following involvement Middle East war operations. (Photo by ELVIS BARUKCIC / AFP via Getty Images)
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Overview

  • The USS Gerald R. Ford has re-entered the Red Sea after a Suez transit with the destroyers USS Mahan and USS Winston S. Churchill, following a month in the Mediterranean for fire repairs.
  • The carrier’s 295th straight day at sea on Wednesday set the longest U.S. carrier deployment since the Vietnam era, according to U.S. Naval Institute data.
  • A March laundry-room fire forced pierside fixes at Souda Bay, Greece, and a stop in Split, Croatia, temporarily leaving about 600 sailors without bunks, according to Sen. Tim Kaine.
  • Senior Navy leaders say the cruise could run about 11 months, while Kaine warns the length and delays risk hurting morale and retention.
  • Experts say extended operations are straining fuel and ammunition resupply, pushing ships to use hubs such as Diego Garcia or NATO sites like Souda Bay, which could trigger maintenance backlogs across the fleet.