The US aircraft carrier USS Gerald R Ford began to head home after a long deployment

The world's largest aircraft carrier, USS Gerald R. Ford, is heading back home after a record-breaking deployment of over 300 days.
According to the Washington Post, the USS Gerald R. Ford is returning home from the Middle East after nearly 10 months of deployment, which may lead to a significant decrease in US naval firepower in the region. US officials said the carrier's deployment included missions such as participating in the war against Iran and the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro.
The fleet participated in long missions and operations in the Arabian Sea, playing a role in imposing maritime sanctions on Iran and stopping oil shipments. According to the report, the ship also faced technical issues and needed repairs during its long deployment, and after the mission, the USS Gerald R. Ford will return to Virginia for extensive repairs. Authorities said the ship will leave the Middle East in the coming days and is expected to arrive at its home port in the US state of Virginia by mid-May.
Last week, the arrival of the USS George H.W. Bush carrier increased the number of US aircraft carriers in the Middle East to three, the first time since 2003, while the USS Abraham Lincoln has also been in the region since January. This month, the Gerald R. Ford broke the US record for the longest deployment since the Vietnam War, which lasted about 10 months, when it departed from Virginia in June.
The ship's 295th day at sea broke the 50-year record, previously held by the 'Lincoln' in 2020, which was deployed for 294 days during the COVID-19 pandemic. According to US Navy statistics, the long deployment has raised questions about the crew's mental and physical health, pressure on the ship, and the performance of its equipment, especially after a fire broke out on the ship, which required lengthy repairs.
US Defense Secretary Pat Hegsteth told Congress that the decision was made due to operational necessity, as additional military resources were needed on several occasions. The ship began its deployment in the Mediterranean, later sent to the Caribbean in October, where it was used in an operation against Venezuela. It then participated in military operations during heightened tensions with Iran in the Middle East and entered the Red Sea through the Suez Canal in early March. However, a fire on the ship forced it to return to the Mediterranean for repairs, resulting in difficulties for hundreds of personnel. The 295-day deployment is one of the longest since the Cold War, but it still falls short of the 332-day record set by the aircraft carrier 'Midway' in 1972-73.