The Navy’s largest aircraft carrier, Gerald R. Ford, transited the Strait of Gibraltar on Saturday as it made its way to the Mediterranean for a regularly scheduled deployment to the area, according to the Navy.
The Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group left its homeport at Naval Station Norfolk and Naval Weapons Station Yorktown in Virginia on June 24 for the U.S. 6th Fleet area of operations.
“Gerald R. Ford’s mission remains clear: maintain freedom of navigation in international waters for all nations,” Capt. David Skarosi, commanding officer of the Ford, said in a release. “Our Sailors are excited to execute this mission and operate side-by-side with our Allies and partners throughout the region.”
The strike group, which contains 4,500 sailors, includes the flagship aircraft carrier Ford, nine squadrons of Carrier Air Wing 8, Arleigh Burke-class destroyer Winston S. Churchill and Destroyer Squadron 2’s guided-missile destroyers Mitscher, Mahan, Bainbridge and Forrest Sherman.
Navy vessels transited the Strait of Gibraltar alongside the Spanish Navy’s Santa Maria-class frigate Canarias and the U.S. fast combat support ship Supply, according to the Navy.
The Ford embarked for the Mediterranean several days after American stealth bombers dropped 30,000-pound bunker-buster bombs on Iran’s nuclear sites.
A defense official told Military Times at the time that the move was not a response to rising tensions in the Middle East and was part of a regularly scheduled deployment.
Riley Ceder is a reporter at Military Times, where he covers breaking news, criminal justice, investigations, and cyber. He previously worked as an investigative practicum student at The Washington Post, where he contributed to the Abused by the Badge investigation.
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