U.S. Supercarrier Stuck in an Endless Mission — Forbes
The newest U.S. nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, is poised to break a modern-era record by becoming the ship with the longest continuous deployment.
Forbes reports this.
As of mid-April 2026, the ship has been at sea for 294 days, an unprecedented feat for the U.S. Navy in the 21st century.
The aircraft carrier’s combat deployment began back in June 2025, when it departed from the Norfolk Naval Station.
Since then, the carrier strike group has demonstrated impressive mobility, carrying out missions at strategically important locations around the globe—from the cold waters of the Arctic to the Caribbean.
Initially, the crew participated in large-scale NATO exercises in the North Sea, strengthening the Alliance’s defense capabilities in the Arctic region.
The ship was subsequently redeployed to the Caribbean Sea to participate in Operation Southern Spear, an anti-narcotics operation, where the aircraft carrier became a key element in the fight against smuggling.
The most high-profile phase of the mission was participation in Operation "Absolute Resolve" off the coast of Venezuela.
During these events, U.S. forces carried out an operation to kidnap Nicolás Maduro, which significantly altered the political landscape of South America and demanded maximum concentration from the crew.
In early 2026, the aircraft carrier was urgently redeployed to the Mediterranean Sea to participate in Operation “Epic Fury.”
This mission aims to deter Iran’s aggressive actions and demonstrate U.S. military might in the Arabian Sea region amid an escalating nuclear conflict.
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