The American Aircraft Carrier Gerald Ford Returns to the U.S. After 11 Months at Sea

The American aircraft carrier Gerald Ford, which was dispatched by President Trump to the Middle East before the war in Iran began, returned to the United States yesterday, setting a record for a mission at sea, the Pentagon announced.

The world's largest aircraft carrier has returned to its home port in Norfolk on the East Coast of the United States, greeted by Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth, as stated by the U.S. Department of Defense on social media.

The Gerald Ford completed a 326-day mission, the longest for a carrier strike group since the Vietnam War, according to the Pentagon. Before being sent to the Middle East and participating in combat against Iran, the USS Gerald Ford contributed to U.S. operations in the Caribbean, where Washington conducted an intense campaign of airstrikes against boats alleged to be involved in drug trafficking, seized sanctioned oil tankers, and, notably, captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in early January.