The USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78), the United States Navy’s newest and most advanced nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, docked at the port of St Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands on 1 December after completing a round of drills and operational activity in the Caribbean. According to official U.S. Navy statements, the scheduled port visit is intended to give the crew time to rest following weeks of demanding work under Operation Southern Spear, after the ship shifted from the Mediterranean back towards the Atlantic.
USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) port visit in St Thomas
The stop in St Thomas comes at a notable moment in the carrier’s current deployment. After transiting the Anegada Passage earlier in the month, the ship entered the Caribbean on 16 November, when it was confirmed that Carrier Strike Group 12 (CSG-12) was moving into the Caribbean Sea to support a mission centred on maritime security and counter-narcotics efforts. Not long after, reports indicated that the flagship had begun operations, signalling the beginning of an intensive period of training and a deterrent presence aligned with U.S. Department of Defense objectives.
Operation Southern Spear: drills with B-52H and CVW-8
On 13 November, as part of the U.S. military’s stepped-up presence in the Caribbean, the nuclear-powered carrier took part in combined drills with a B-52H Stratofortress strategic bomber. The event also included eight F/A-18E/F Super Hornets assigned to Carrier Air Wing 8 (CVW-8) and was conducted within an interagency framework focused on surveillance, interdiction, and disrupting networks associated with narcotrafficking and transnational criminal organisations.
U.S. Department of Defense information stated that the Super Hornets flew alongside the B-52H as part of a multi-domain joint force, showcasing the strike group’s ability to integrate with long-range strategic air assets.
CVW-8 operations: Super Hornet launches and recoveries at sea
In the days that followed, the USS Gerald R. Ford again highlighted capabilities delivered by CVW-8. As reported recently, CVN-78 hosted further launches and recoveries of F/A-18 Super Hornet fighters-activity that, for the U.S. Navy, underlined both the flexibility of carrier-based air wings and their contribution to surveillance, interdiction, and maritime security missions.
Deployment timeline: from Norfolk, NATO Neptune Strike, and Gibraltar transit
This deployment has been among the most wide-ranging for the Gerald R. Ford since the ship entered service. After leaving Norfolk on 24 June, the carrier operated in the North Atlantic, took part in NATO surveillance activities Neptune Strike 25-2 and 25-3, and conducted port visits in Croatia, France, Germany, Norway, and Spain. It then moved into the Mediterranean before beginning its transit towards the Caribbean via the Strait of Gibraltar on 4 November.
Carrier Strike Group 12 ships and embarked air wing
The carrier strike group also comprises amphibious forces such as USS Iwo Jima, along with guided-missile destroyers including USS Bainbridge (DDG 96), USS Mahan (DDG 72), and USS Winston S. Churchill (DDG 81). The embarked air wing includes F/A-18E/F Super Hornet fighters, EA-18G Growler electronic warfare aircraft, E-2D Advanced Hawkeye airborne early warning aircraft, and MH-60 Sea Hawk helicopters.
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