The USS Gerald R. Ford sails through the open waters of the Eastern Mediterranean Sea on March 22, 2026. The aircraft carrier transited the Suez Canal late last week and has now entered the Red Sea, moving into the area of operations for the U.S. 5th Fleet in the Middle East. (Tajh Payne/U.S. Navy)
NAPLES, Italy — The aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford is operating in the Middle East following a nearly monthlong sojourn in the Mediterranean Sea.
Ford, along with the destroyers USS Winston S. Churchill and USS Mahan, left the U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa/U.S. 6th Fleet area of operations late last week, a U.S. official confirmed to Stars and Stripes on Monday on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment publicly.
The carrier, with embarked Carrier Air Wing 8 and more than 4,500 sailors and personnel, transited the Suez Canal and now is operating in the Red Sea, USNI News reported Sunday, citing unidentified U.S. officials
It wasn’t clear when exactly Ford made the Suez Canal transit, which would put it in the U.S. Naval Forces Central Command/U.S. 5th Fleet operating area.
But on Thursday, an open-source intelligence analyst spotted a Navy P-8 Poseidon patrol and reconnaissance aircraft flying near the canal, saying it could indicate that Ford’s transit was imminent.
Along with three destroyers and two supply ships, the carrier was spotted in the eastern Mediterranean on April 13, presumably receiving an underway replenishment.
A C-2A Greyhound taxis on the flight deck of USS Gerald R. Ford on April 5, 2026. Carrier onboard delivery aircraft like the Greyhound have supported Ford’s logistics throughout its record-breaking deployment, which began when the ship departed Norfolk, Va., in late June. (Mark Rundio/U.S. Navy)
An F/A-18 Super Hornet flies low over the water, leaving vapor trails behind its wingtips on March 22, 2026. The Ford’s air wing has been conducting flight operations throughout a deployment that set a post-Vietnam War record of 296 days as of Wednesday. (Tajh Payne/U.S. Navy)
An F/A-18 Super Hornet launches from the flight deck of USS Gerald R. Ford on April 4, 2026. The carrier resumed operations on April 3 after a scheduled maintenance and crew rest period during its port visit to Split, Croatia, before heading to the Middle East. (Zamirah Connor/U.S. Navy)
Ford’s move into the Middle East comes after it set a record on Wednesday with 296 days on deployment. That broke the post-Vietnam War carrier deployment record of 295 days held by USS Abraham Lincoln.
Ford departed its homeport in Norfolk, Va., in late June for a routine deployment to Europe. Since then, the carrier has operated in the Mediterranean, Caribbean and Red seas. It likely will go into a record-breaking 11th month of operations, the Navy’s top official has said.
This is at least the second time Ford has been on duty in the Middle East during its current deployment.
In early March, Ford entered the Red Sea, continuing its role in Operation Epic Fury, the joint U.S.-Israel campaign against Iran.
On March 12, a fire broke out in the ship’s main laundry areas, causing damage to multiple compartments and displacing some 600 personnel. Three sailors suffered injuries that were not life-threatening.
A flight deck crew member signals to a C-2A Greyhound on board the USS Gerald R. Ford on April 5, 2026. (Brianna Barnett/U.S. Navy)
Ford then returned to Naval Support Activity Souda Bay on the Greek island of Crete on March 23 for an assessment and repairs, including rehabilitation of seven berthing compartments.
The Navy has offered few details about the fire, which remains under investigation.
After a port visit to Split, Croatia, for scheduled maintenance and crew rest, Ford resumed operations April 3, remaining in the Mediterranean until last week.
Meanwhile, the aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush, long expected to relieve Ford, was operating last week in waters off the south coast of Africa, presumably taking a lengthy route around the Cape of Good Hope as it heads for the Middle East.
Lincoln has been operating in the Middle East since January. Last week, the carrier was spotted in the Gulf of Oman in support of the U.S. blockade against Iran.
