The US Navy’s USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier has been scheduled for its first deployment to the Atlantic Ocean.
The vessel is the lead of its class and serves as the flagship of the Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group (GRFCSG).
The GFRCSG is set to sail from Norfolk, Virginia, today.
Once the strike group arrives in the region, nine NATO nations and partners will join it for a series of operations to “strengthen the collective defense of the Atlantic as well as to mature integration for future operations.
“The Atlantic is an area of strategic interest,” US 2nd Fleet Commander Vice Adm. Dan Dawyer said.
“Our primary goal is to contribute to a peaceful, stable, and conflict-free Atlantic region through the combined naval power of our Allies and partners.”
‘Renewed Commitment to Atlantic’
GFRCSG’s counterparts will include 20 ships, 60 aircraft, and 9,000 personnel.
“The deployment of USS Gerald R. Ford’s carrier strike group is the natural progression of our renewed commitment to the Atlantic,” Dawyer explained.
The participants will conduct training on air defense, anti-subsurface warfare, distributed maritime missions, mine countermeasures, and amphibious operations.
“This deployment is an opportunity to push the ball further down the field and demonstrate the advantage that Ford and Carrier Air Wing 8 bring to the future of naval aviation, to the region and to our Allies and partners,” Carrier Strike Group 12 Commander Rear Adm. Gregory Huffman added.