The title: US Navy's Massive Aircraft Carrier Returns to the US following Extended Deployment in the Mediterranean

After the October 7 attack by Hamas on Israel, the US Navy is reevaluating its global force requirements and has decided to pull the world's largest warship, the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford, back to its homeport of Norfolk, Virginia. The ship was deployed to the eastern Mediterranean Sea on May 2 for an eight-month cruise, marking its first combat deployment.

Commissioned in 2017, the Ford is the US Navy's newest aircraft carrier and the lead ship in the Navy's first new carrier class in over 40 years. A Navy spokesperson described it as the "most adaptable and lethal combat platform in the world". The 100,000-ton warship, equipped with F/A-18 Super Hornet jet fighters, arrived off the coast of Israel shortly after a series of Hamas terror attacks that resulted in the deaths of over 1,200 people.

The Sixth Fleet stated that the movement was ordered for the purpose of Ford contributing to the US "regional deterrence and defense posture."

As tensions rise over Houthi attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea, the USS Eisenhower is now the only US aircraft carrier in the region following the departure of the Ford.

The Houthis have carried out numerous attacks on commercial vessels since October 7, claiming to be in solidarity with Hamas in their conflict with Israel. Recently, US forces, including helicopters from the Eisenhower, engaged in a deadly confrontation with Houthi units, resulting in the sinking of three Houthi boats that had attacked a commercial ship and fired at the US helicopters.

According to a statement from US Central Command, the US Navy helicopters fired back in self-defense, successfully sinking three out of the four small boats and eliminating the crews. The fourth boat fled the area. The US Sixth Fleet also confirmed that, despite the departure of the Ford, the US Navy still maintains strong capabilities in both the Mediterranean and the Middle East.

The Sixth Fleet announced that the USS Bataan, a capable of carrying Marine Corps F-35 stealth fighters, along with the USS Carter Hall and USS Mesa Verde, were operating in the eastern Mediterranean. Additionally, US guided-missile destroyers, some of which have successfully intercepted Houthi drones and missiles in recent weeks, are also present in the region.

Furthermore, the US has initiated Operation Prosperity Guardian, a maritime coalition focused on strengthening security in the southern Red Sea.