America’s Largest Aircraft Carrier Returns Home From the Mediterranean

The US Navy announced a pivotal shift in its naval deployment, indicating the return of the USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78), the fleet’s newest aircraft carrier, from the eastern Mediterranean Sea to the United States. This decision, as articulated by the US Sixth Fleet, is a response to a reassessment of the nation’s global naval requirements following the terror attacks by Hamas against Israel on October 7.

The USS Gerald R. Ford, an embodiment of naval superiority and the latest addition to the Navy’s carriers, is concluding its inaugural combat mission, an extensive eight-month deployment initiated on May 2. Commissioned in 2017, the Ford represents the first new design of carriers in over four decades and is characterized by the Navy spokesperson as the “most adaptable and lethal combat platform in the world.” The carrier, a 100,000-ton marvel equipped with F/A-18 Super Hornets, was strategically positioned off the Israeli coast following the devastating Hamas terror attacks that claimed over 1,200 lives.

The redeployment of the Ford was part of a larger strategy aimed at “regional deterrence and defense posture,” as stated by the Sixth Fleet. However, with the Ford’s departure, the USS Eisenhower stands as the only US aircraft carrier in the region amidst rising tensions due to continuous Houthi assaults on commercial shipping in the Red Sea. These attacks, a show of solidarity with Hamas, prompted a direct confrontation between US forces and Houthi units, leading to the sinking of three Houthi boats by US Navy helicopters in a defensive action.

Despite the Ford’s return to homeport, the Sixth Fleet emphasizes that the US maintains “extensive capability both in the Mediterranean and across the Middle East.” This includes the presence of the USS Bataan, an amphibious assault ship capable of carrying Marine Corps F-35 stealth fighters, alongside the USS Carter Hall and the USS Mesa Verde. The region’s security is further bolstered by US guided-missile destroyers, some of which have successfully intercepted Houthi drones and missiles.

US Navy confirms: Aircraft carrier USS Ford will return from the Mediterranean: US Navy says the USS Gerald R. Ford, deployed to the region after October 7 attack, will “redeploy to its home port as scheduled”. https://t.co/7Jpxc3pliX pic.twitter.com/hpEhQxPEqU

— Jake P. Noch (@Jake_P_Noch) January 2, 2024

In a continuous effort to enhance regional security, the US has launched Operation Prosperity Guardian, a maritime coalition designed to strengthen security in the southern Red Sea. This initiative is a testament to the US’s commitment to “collaborating with Allies and partners to bolster maritime security in the region” and a demonstration of the Department of Defense’s resolve to “leverage its collective force posture in the region to deter any state or non-state actor from escalating this crisis beyond Gaza,”  per the Sixth Fleet’s statement.