The aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford will depart the Middle East and begin the voyage home in the coming days, multiple U.S. officials told the Washington Post, providing relief for approximately 4,500 sailors who have been deployed for 10 months — but removing a significant source of firepower as peace talks between the United States and Iran remain stalled.
As of Wednesday, the Ford had been at sea for 309 days, a record for the longest continuous deployment of any modern U.S. aircraft carrier. One official said the ship is expected to arrive home in Virginia around mid-May.
A Ship That Has Earned Its Rest
The Navy’s newest and largest carrier, the Ford left Naval Station Norfolk on June 24 of last year to sail for Europe. The Trump administration subsequently redirected it back across the Atlantic to the Caribbean, where it participated in the U.S. blockade of Venezuela’s oil exports and the January capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. Its deployment was then extended again, and it was sent to the Middle East to support U.S. war operations against Iran.
The extended time at sea has taken a measurable toll on the ship. The Ford sustained damage in a laundry room fire that injured sailors and has experienced repeated mechanical issues with its plumbing systems. Once back in port, it is expected to undergo extensive repairs and maintenance. Typical carrier deployments last six to seven months specifically to keep ships on their maintenance schedules — the Ford’s deployment has run more than four months beyond that standard.
The Washington Post noted that keeping the Ford at sea so long will affect not only its own future availability, but also the readiness of other warships, because the shipyards that perform their maintenance have limited capacity.
Scrutiny at a Congressional Hearing
At a congressional hearing Wednesday, lawmakers pressed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on whether the cost to the ship and crew was justified. Rep. Gil Cisneros (D-CA) said directly: “I worry about the USS Ford. What trade-offs are we making?”
Hegseth acknowledged the difficulty of the decision without offering details. “A tough decision-making process led to the extension,” he said, “in consultation with the Navy.”
Two Carriers Remain as Blockade Continues
The Ford’s departure will leave two carriers operating in the region. The USS George H.W. Bush and the USS Abraham Lincoln are both in the Arabian Sea, enforcing the U.S. maritime blockade targeting vessels carrying oil or cargo from Iranian ports. The Ford has been positioned in the Red Sea.
Since the blockade began, U.S. naval forces have turned back 39 vessels — in some cases boarding and seizing them — to prevent them from transporting goods that benefit Iran. On Tuesday, U.S. forces boarded the M/V Blue Star and released it after inspection.
The blockade is currently the primary form of military pressure the United States is applying to Iran as the Trump administration pursues a negotiated settlement requiring Tehran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and abandon its nuclear program.