When the USS Gerald R. Ford sailed from the base in Norfolk in June 2025, probably none of its crew expected that 10 months later the ship would still be waiting for the order to return to its home port. The aircraft carrier's mission, which has already lasted 296 days, is the longest since the end of the Vietnam War and beat the result of the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Linclon, which was away from its home port for 294 days due to the pandemic.
It might seem that such a long cruise of the ship – during which it took part in two US military conflicts, first against Venezuela and then against Iran – is rather a reason to be proud, but the truth is quite different. The aircraft carrier should have returned to the port in Norfolk several months ago, where it would have undergone maintenance and the crew would have received a well-deserved rest.
“You can't operate a ship for so long and intensively and expect both it and its crew to perform at full capacity,” said recently retired Admiral John F. Kirby.
Mysterious fire on the ship
The Pentagon's decision to significantly extend the aircraft carrier's mission is criticized by American politicians, and the US Navy command does not hide the fact that it was against such a plan from the very beginning. There are also voices in the Pentagon that the USS Gerald R. Ford is slowly reaching the limits of its operational capabilities.
According to current information, the USS Gerald R. Ford is scheduled to return to its home port only at the end of May.
The crew of the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford has been waiting for a well-deserved rest for monthsDVIDS/US Navy
USS Gerald R. Ford is the first American aircraft carrier of a new type in over 40 years, which has a whole range of new technological solutions, including a new nuclear reactor producing three times more electricity.
In addition to over 70 aircraft carried on board, the aircraft carrier also has classic armament in the form of two Sea Sparrow missile launchers and two surface-to-air missile launchers. Three Phalanx CIWS short-range guns and 12.7 mm M2 heavy machine guns were also mounted on board. The ship's operation is handled by a crew of approximately 4.5 thousand. people.
