U.S. Navy's Ford Carrier Deployment May Set Record

The U.S. Navy's Ford aircraft carrier, having arrived in the Middle East from the Caribbean, is now in its tenth month of deployment, according to The New York Times. If it remains at sea until mid-April, it will surpass the post-Vietnam War record for the longest carrier deployment, which stands at 294 days set by the Abraham Lincoln carrier in 2020. Crew members aboard the Ford have been informed that their deployment might extend into May, potentially keeping them at sea for a full year, double the typical carrier deployment duration. During the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, the U.S. Navy occasionally deployed carriers for nine months or longer, but deployments usually do not exceed six months. Naval experts note that deployments exceeding six months pose significant challenges for both the vessels and their crews.