The world’s largest aircraft carrier officially earned the distinction of having the longest modern deployment Wednesday, when it marked 296 days at sea.
The USS Abraham Lincoln previously held that record, having deployed for 295 days in January 2020.
The USS Nimitz was at sea for a record 341 days in 2020 and 2021, but parts of that deployment were plagued by quarantine periods intended to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, which saw the carrier stationed ashore. The Nimitz was forward-deployed in support of American security interests for only 263 days, factoring in those isolation periods, according to USNI News.
The Ford’s record didn’t come as a surprise.
During a March 31 appearance at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Daryl Caudle said the carrier would likely see a “record-breaking deployment.”
And Vice Chief of Naval Operations Adm. James Kilby told lawmakers at a Senate Armed Services Committee in March that he expected the Ford to reach an 11-month extended deployment.
The current record for longest deployment, modern or historic, is held by the USS Midway, which was at sea for 332 days during the Vietnam War.
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