U.S. Navy carriers Gerald R. Ford returns home and Nimitz anchors in Brazil

The nuclear‑powered aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN‑78) began its voyage back to Norfolk after a 316‑day deployment, the longest for a U.S. carrier in the post‑Vietnam era. The ship operated in the Caribbean, the Eastern Mediterranean and the Red Sea, supporting U.S. actions against Iran and participating in the Southern Spear mission near Venezuela. During the deployment the carrier faced a laundry‑area fire and technical challenges with its EMALS launch system, but the interim Navy secretary praised the crew’s performance. The Ford is slated to arrive by the end of May for an extensive maintenance period.

Separately, the older nuclear carrier USS Nimitz (CVN‑68) entered Guanabara Bay in Rio de Janeiro as part of the Southern Seas 2026 exercise. Brazil joined the drills with its frigate Defensora, corvette Barroso, submarine Humaitá and two helicopters, emphasizing the strategic importance of the South Atlantic “Amazônia Azul” and fostering multilateral naval cooperation among roughly ten Latin American nations.