The USS Gerald R. Ford: A Giant Ship with a Big Job in the Caribbean

The USS Gerald R. Ford, the world's largest and most expensive aircraft carrier, has arrived in the Caribbean Sea. This massive ship is carrying 4, 000 sailors and "dozens" of military aircraft. The U. S. Southern Command made this announcement on Sunday. This deployment comes at a time when the U. S. is putting more pressure on Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro. In 2020, U. S. prosecutors charged Maduro with narco-terrorism and other crimes. The Trump administration recently increased the reward for information leading to Maduro's arrest or conviction to $50 million. The U. S. has also carried out 20 strikes on boats near Venezuela. American officials say these boats were smuggling drugs. However, the Trump administration has not provided any evidence for these claims. Lawmakers and legal experts say these strikes might be illegal under U. S. and international law. Last week, Trump said he had "sort of made up his mind" about the next steps for U. S. involvement in Venezuela. But he did not give any details. Other administration officials have also not shared much about their plans for the South American nation. The arrival of the USS Gerald R. Ford shows that the U. S. is escalating its actions in the region. Here's what you need to know about the ship and its role in the Caribbean. The USS Gerald R. Ford is a new addition to the Navy's fleet. The keel of the carrier was laid in 2009. The Ford was officially commissioned in 2017. It is named after the 38th U. S. President Gerald Ford, a Navy veteran who served on the USS Monterey light aircraft carrier during World War II. It wasn't until 2023 that the Ford left port on its first combat deployment. Initially, it was supposed to participate in exercises with NATO allies. But the carrier's deployment was extended by more than two months after war broke out between Hamas and Israel. The Ford was sent to the Mediterranean Sea to support Israel and prevent the conflict from escalating. The Ford is the first ship of a new class of U. S. aircraft carriers. These carriers will replace the current Nimitz-class carriers. The first Nimitz-class carrier launched from a Newport News, Va. , shipyard in 1972. Ford-class carriers have 23 technological advancements for aircraft carriers. These include a new electromagnetic system for launching aircraft. This system replaces steam-powered catapults. The Ford-class ships are also expected to be able to operate with a crew 20% smaller than that of a Nimitz-class carrier. But the military struggled to implement some of that new technology on the Ford. This resulted in construction delays. The Navy says the tab for building the Ford, the most advanced U. S. aircraft carrier in existence, topped $13 billion. Bryan Clark, a former naval officer with the Hudson Institute, a conservative think tank, told NPR last year that Nimitz-class carriers cost a little over half that. "So in retrospect, that extra investment was probably not worth it, " he said. The delivery of the next Ford-class aircraft carrier — which will be known as the USS John F. Kennedy — was recently delayed by two years. It is now not expected until early 2027. Last week, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced that the U. S. would conduct Operation Southern Spear. He said this mission was to eliminate "narco-terrorists" and secure "our Homeland from the drugs that are killing our people. " The massive build-up of American military might in the region, including the arrival of the Ford, is a part of that effort. Beyond the aircraft carrier itself, the USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group contains nine carrier airwing squadrons, two Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers and an integrated air and missile defense command ship. The strike group's arrival adds to American military assets that had already been in the region. These include the Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group and an embarked marine expeditionary unit.