Tag Archives: Carrier Strike Group 12

Ford is Finally Back (and will be offline for longer than she was deployed)

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USS Gerald R. Ford and her two companion destroyers, USS Bainbridge (DDG 96) and USS Mahan (DDG 72), left port on 24 June 2025 for six months of scheduled deployment and exercises.

They arrived back home last week, some 322 days later.

Ford and company bested every post-Vietnam carrier deployment record, saw combat and combat support operations under both 4th and 5th Fleet, surviving a fire at sea and a myriad of persistent teething issues, earning a Presidential Unit Citation in the process, the first time a carrier did so since 1973 when USS Midway picked up one after a 332-day Vietnam tour.

Aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) arrives to Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia, May 16, 2026. The Ford carrier strike group recently concluded a historic deployment, providing maritime security across four areas of operation, solidifying the Ford-class carrier’s role as the premier centerpiece of American naval power and global stability. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class John Bellino)

From left to right, Congressman John McGuire, Congresswoman Jen Kiggans, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, Carrier Strike Group 12 Commander Rear Adm. David Duff, Commanding Officer of the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) Capt. David Skarosi and Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Daryl Caudle pose for a photo with the Presidential Unit Citation award and pennant aboard the Ford on Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia, May 16, 2026. 

Quite an accomplishment.

Especially for the DDGs.

A supercarrier is a floating city, and you would be hard pressed to visit every compartment aboard on a cruise, even one of 322 days. On the other hand, a DDG, even a big one like a Burke, is more like a floating apartment building with guns on the roof. Those tin can guys earned their sea pay on this one, for sure.

During their historic deployment across four fleets, the crew of Mahan alone conducted 19 replenishments-at-sea and executed 25 sea and anchor details during a historic 11-month deployment to U.S. 2nd, 4th, 5th, and 6th Fleets as part of the GRF Carrier Strike Group.

NORFOLK, Va. (May 16, 2026) – Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Mahan (DDG 72) returns to Naval Station Norfolk, May 16, 2026, following a historic 11-month deployment to U.S. 2nd, 4th, 5th, and 6th Fleets as part of the Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group. During their historic deployment across four fleets, the crew of Mahan conducted 19 replenishments-at-sea and executed 25 sea and anchor details. (U.S. Navy photo by Chief Mass Communication Specialist David Smalls, III)

What next?

Ford is now set to begin at least a 12-month Planned Incremental Availability (PIA) that, with repairs to her berthing areas and her undoubtably huge maintenance backlog from her 322 days underway, may stretch to 24 months as there could be some serious rebuilding to be done.

Speaking of the rest of the other 10 carriers in commission:

Nimitz (CVN-68) is underway, completing her final cruise, and is scheduled to begin deactivation as soon as she arrives in Norfolk. While her official decommissioning date is March 2027, don’t count on seeing her underway on her own power again once this current Latin American hearts and minds cruise is over.

Stennis (CVN-74) has been on her four-year mid-life ROCH since May 2021 and won’t emerge until at least October 2026, and will then require months of availability and shakedowns to be ready to deploy.

Truman (CVN-75) is set to begin her four-year RCOH in June 2026– if Stennis gets out of Dry Dock 12 in time for that start date. Once the overhaul is started, Truman will not deploy again until 2031 at the earliest.

Reagan (CVN-76) has been in a DPIA overhaul since August 2024 and isn’t set to emerge until at least August 2026.

That gives the fleet six carriers that are actually able to get underway– and most of them are.

Lincoln and Bush are deployed to the Arabian Sea. The venerable, nearly half-century-old Eisenhower is being rumored to be rushed overseas after emerging from her 15-month overhaul (supposedly her last) to backfill Ford. Vinson is in San Diego, still getting over an extended nine-month deployment that ended last August. Washington is forward deployed to Japan (yes, just a single carrier in the West Pac) while TR is in the East Pac on workups.

That’s it.

JFK (CVN-79) isn’t set to deliver until May 2027 (replacing Nimitz) for her first deployment, not likely until 2029. Enterprise (CVN-80) is supposed to come online in 2029 to replace Eisenhower. Et. al.

Flattops (and drones) Making Waves

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After what must have been a staggering yard period for the crew, the sixth Nimitz-class nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, USS George Washington (CVN 73), has finally been redelivered to the Navy after 2,120 days at Newport News, wrapping up its mid-life refueling and complex overhaul (RCOH). Importantly, the carrier also now has new C4ISR systems, radars, and upgrades for full F-35 capability.

The RCOH represents 35 percent of all maintenance and modernization in an aircraft carrier’s service life and GW was pulled offline in 2017 originally for what was scheduled to be a four-year yard event, which ran seven due to COVID, “supply chain issues” and the like.

NNS made sure to work in a victory lap, because, well, at least it’s over.

“Redelivering George Washington to the Navy is the end result of incredible teamwork between our shipbuilders, the CVN 73 crew, our government partners, and all of our suppliers,” said Todd West, NNS vice president, of in-service aircraft carrier programs. “George Washington has gone through a transformation and now returns to the fleet as a fully recapitalized ship, ready to support any mission and serve our nation for another 25 years.”

In related news, the first Ford-class supercarrier, CVN-78, just made the first visit by an American flattop to NATO member Norway in 65 years, escorted up the fjord by His Norwegian Majesty’s Ship (HNoMS) Roald Amundsen (F311) as the GRFCSG Surface Warfare Commander. Of course, this came during a scheduled meeting of NATO Ministers of Foreign Affairs in Oslo.

The flagship USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) transits the Oslo fjord for its first port call in Oslo, Norway, May 24, 2023. Gerald R. Ford is the first U.S. aircraft carrier to pull into Norway in more than 65 years. (US Navy Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Brian Glunt) Released.

This meant a round of community relations events and the opportunity to visit popular cultural and historical landmarks in Oslo, including the WWII War Sailors Monument near Akershus fortress.

They also got in some work with Standing NATO Maritime Group 1. Besides CVN-78, the Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group consists of Carrier Strike Group 12, Carrier Air Wing 8, Destroyer Squadron 2, USS Normandy (CG 60), USS McFaul (DDG 74), USS Ramage (DDG 61) and USS Thomas Hudner (DDG 116).

Meanwhile, in Portugal, the navy is proceeding with the Plataforma Naval Multifuncional, a new drone mothership project.

The video, which shows a roughly 10,000-ton ish LPH-style vessel complete with a ski-jump and what looks like MQ-9B STOL drones, will be minimally manned but outfitted to launch and recover dozens of AUV, UUV, and USVs of assorted types along with helicopters and OTH-capable small boats. This is likely the future face of expeditionary naval aviation.

Speaking of which, the U.S. Navy just announced the first four “air vehicle pilots” completed flight training and earned their wings during a ceremony aboard NAS Pensacola on 25 May.

The four AVPs were winged at the National Naval Aviation Museum alongside a graduating class of Naval Flight Officers (NFO). The AVPs are the first service members authorized to wear the AVP warfare device.

The AVP warfare device is similar to traditional Naval Aviator wings but with an inverted delta displayed on a shield centered on two crossed anchors and flanked by wings. Service members qualified to wear this device will belong to a new community of aviation professionals who operate the MQ-25 Stingray and future UAVs. (Navy Photo by Ensign Elias Kaser).