USS Gerald R. Ford returns after record-breaking 300-day deployment across three regions

The USS Gerald R. Ford, the world's largest aircraft carrier, is set to return home after a record-breaking deployment of over 300 days, during which it took part in operations against Iran and the capture of Nicolás Maduro.

Two U.S. officials told The Guardian that the USS Gerald R. Ford will leave the Middle East in the coming days and return to its homeport in Virginia in mid-May.

Last week, the USS George H.W. Bush arrived in the region, bringing the total number of U.S. aircraft carriers deployed in the Middle East to three—a level not seen since 2003. The USS Abraham Lincoln has also been operating in the area since January.

This month, the USS Gerald R. Ford broke the post-Vietnam War record for the longest U.S. carrier deployment, spending nearly 10 months at sea after departing Naval Station Norfolk in June.

The previous record was held by the USS Abraham Lincoln, which spent 294 days at sea in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, this still falls short of the all-time record set by the now-decommissioned USS Midway, which remained deployed for 332 days in 1972–1973.

The USS Gerald R. Ford began its deployment in the Mediterranean before being redirected to the Caribbean in October as part of the largest naval buildup in the region in decades. The carrier participated in the military operation to capture Maduro before shifting to the Middle East as tensions with Iran escalated.

The aircraft carrier was involved in the early stages of the conflict with Iran while in the Mediterranean, then transited the Suez Canal in early March to enter the Red Sea. However, a fire in one of its laundry facilities forced the ship to turn back to the Mediterranean for repairs.