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- Photos show the first full deployment of the USS Gerald R. Ford supercarrier, home at last after being sent as a warning to foes
Photos show the first full deployment of the USS Gerald R. Ford supercarrier, home at last after being sent as a warning to foes
Lauren Frias
![Photos show the first full deployment of the USS Gerald R. Ford supercarrier, home at last after being sent as a warning to foes](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstaticbiassets.in%2Fthumb%2Fmsid-107015142%2Cwidth-700%2Cheight-525%2Cimgsize-62068%2Fphotos-show-the-first-full-deployment-of-the-uss-gerald-r-ford-supercarrier-home-at-last-after-being-sent-as-a-warning-to-foes.jpg&w=3840&q=75)
- USS Gerald R. Ford returned to its homeport Wednesday after an extended 8.5-month deployment.
- It was the Ford's first full deployment, and it included supporting Israel after the October Hamas attacks.
USS Gerald R. Ford, the world's largest and most advanced aircraft carrier, returned to its homeport of Naval Station Norfolk in Virginia earlier this week following an extended 8.5-month deployment, largely in the Mediterranean Sea.
The Ford's first full deployment was extended 76 days by the Pentagon in response to the Hamas attacks in Israel, with the ship and the other warships in its strike group serving in part as a deterrence message.
As that conflict expanded, US naval forces also took up positions to respond to Houthi drone and missile attacks on commercial shipping in the waters near Yemen. The Ford, however, remained in the Mediterranean.
During the ship's 2023 deployment, which lasted 239 days, the aircraft carrier carried out multinational drills and vigilance exercises, conducted flight operations, and stood as a warning to certain malign actors, such as Iran and Hezbollah.
The following photos show the lead ship of the Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group during its eight months and more at sea.
Virginia, USA
![Virginia, USA](https://staticbiassets.in/thumb/msid-107015511,width-700,height-525,imgsize-43168/virginia-usa.jpg)
The US Navy first deployed this new $13 billion supercarrier in 2022, after years of delays and cost overruns that drew significant criticism, for a "short, service-retained deployment" in the Atlantic Ocean. It marked the first time in 40 years a first-in-class carrier had set sail on a maiden deployment.
The 2023 deployment was far more extensive, taking the warship and its crew to more places.
Southwest of Ireland
![Southwest of Ireland](https://staticbiassets.in/thumb/msid-107015507,width-700,height-525,imgsize-61536/southwest-of-ireland.jpg)
Northwest of Germany
![Northwest of Germany](https://staticbiassets.in/thumb/msid-107015499,width-700,height-525,imgsize-66760/northwest-of-germany.jpg)
South of Oslo, Norway
![South of Oslo, Norway](https://staticbiassets.in/thumb/msid-107015490,width-700,height-525,imgsize-42510/south-of-oslo-norway.jpg)
During its recent deployment, the Ford anchored off the coast of Oslo, Norway, making it the first American aircraft carrier to visit Norway in 65 years.
The Navy said the visit — the first stop of the deployment — involved training activities and operations "to help reduce maritime risks associated with increased activity in the high north," underscoring NATO's increased focus on the region amid heightened tensions with Russia.
Bodo, Norway
![Bodo, Norway](https://staticbiassets.in/thumb/msid-107015488,width-700,height-525,imgsize-73568/bodo-norway.jpg)
Split, Croatia
![Split, Croatia](https://staticbiassets.in/thumb/msid-107015487,width-700,height-525,imgsize-38340/split-croatia.jpg)
Southern Adriatic Sea
![Southern Adriatic Sea](https://staticbiassets.in/thumb/msid-107015485,width-700,height-525,imgsize-41528/southern-adriatic-sea.jpg)
Southwest of Peloponnese peninsula
![Southwest of Peloponnese peninsula](https://staticbiassets.in/thumb/msid-107015478,width-700,height-525,imgsize-41434/southwest-of-peloponnese-peninsula.jpg)
Piraeus, Greece
![Piraeus, Greece](https://staticbiassets.in/thumb/msid-107015474,width-700,height-525,imgsize-62914/piraeus-greece.jpg)
Northern Mediterranean Sea
![Northern Mediterranean Sea](https://staticbiassets.in/thumb/msid-107015472,width-700,height-525,imgsize-89604/northern-mediterranean-sea.jpg)
USS Gerald R. Ford conducted its largest replenishment-at-sea in August, transporting more than 600 pallets of goods from the dry cargo ship, USNS Medgar Evars.
The supercarrier received 144 pallets of mail, 1,651 pallets of general stock, 297 pallets of provisions, and 17 pallets of store merchandise. The Ford also off-loaded 124 pallets of used supplies, outgoing mail, and waste during the RAS.
South and southeast of Rhodes, Greece
![South and southeast of Rhodes, Greece](https://staticbiassets.in/thumb/msid-107015467,width-700,height-525,imgsize-67444/south-and-southeast-of-rhodes-greece.jpg)
Antalya, Turkey
![Antalya, Turkey](https://staticbiassets.in/thumb/msid-107015463,width-700,height-525,imgsize-50506/antalya-turkey.jpg)
Trieste, Italy
![Trieste, Italy](https://staticbiassets.in/thumb/msid-107015461,width-700,height-525,imgsize-46836/trieste-italy.jpg)
East of Sicily, Italy
![East of Sicily, Italy](https://staticbiassets.in/thumb/msid-107015458,width-700,height-525,imgsize-37464/east-of-sicily-italy.jpg)
West and southwest of Cyprus
![West and southwest of Cyprus](https://staticbiassets.in/thumb/msid-107015455,width-700,height-525,imgsize-40122/west-and-southwest-of-cyprus.jpg)
Eastern Mediterranean Sea
![Eastern Mediterranean Sea](https://staticbiassets.in/thumb/msid-107015453,width-700,height-525,imgsize-45396/eastern-mediterranean-sea.jpg)
Following the surprise attack by Hamas militants in early October, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin extended the schedule of the USS Ford Strike Group, directing the warships to the eastern part of the Mediterranean Sea.
The deployment was ultimately extended twice as the US sent a message. US Central Command said specifically it was there to "deter any actor seeking to escalate the situation or widen this war," referring to the Israel-Hamas conflict.
The USS Dwight D. Eisenhower Strike Group later joined the Ford CSG in a further show of force in support of Israel, a key US ally in the Middle East.
Souda Bay, Greece
![Souda Bay, Greece](https://staticbiassets.in/thumb/msid-107015449,width-700,height-525,imgsize-58332/souda-bay-greece.jpg)
The US uses a naval base located in Souda Bay on the northwest coast of the Greek island of Crete. The base is located at the heart of the eastern Mediterranean, making it a strategically valuable spot as the war between Ukraine and Russia goes on.
South of Crete
![South of Crete](https://staticbiassets.in/thumb/msid-107015443,width-700,height-525,imgsize-80896/south-of-crete.jpg)
Virginia, USA
![Virginia, USA](https://staticbiassets.in/thumb/msid-107015437,width-700,height-525,imgsize-109916/virginia-usa.jpg)
Over 239 days at sea and more than 83,476 nautical miles "validated the ability" of the Ford "to perform sustained operations at sea," US Fleet Forces wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.
The ship's crew conducted 43 replenishments-at-sea and transferred 8,850 pallets of cargo and 20.7 million gallons of fuel with no mishaps, according to a Navy statement. In the air, the Ford's crew logged more than 17,826 flight hours and flew 10,396 sorties.
The ship's culinary team was hard at work as well in the 8.5 months at sea, preparing and serving more than 3 million meals onboard — including about 48,000 dozen eggs, 24,000 gallons of milk, 131,000 hamburgers, 367,000 pounds of chicken, and 79,000 chocolate chip cookies.
"Though extended, we were the right ship at the right time to answer the call, and our Sailors performed admirably," Capt. Rick Burgess, Gerald R. Ford's commanding officer, said. "Ford Sailors honored our namesake's legacies of hard work, integrity, and courage."
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