USS Gerald R. Ford Finally Heading West

It seems we are finally there. The USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) appears to be heading west toward the Strait of Gibraltar and, consequently, toward her final destination: the Caribbean Sea, off the coast of Venezuela.

On October 25, while the carrier was in Split, President Trump announced that the USS Ford would be deployed to the Caribbean to counter drug trafficking from Venezuela and to support a possible American military action against the South American country.

The carrier then left the Croatian port heading south. However, once it entered the Ionian Sea, the ship slowed down and began to drift within the area without a clear direction. It is worth remembering that the vessel has been sailing without her usual escort, as the ships forming her Carrier Strike Group have been dispersed among various allied ports.

As of yesterday, the USS Ford was still off the coast of Calabria, moving slowly northeastward.

Today, however, the movement of two Grumman C-2A Greyhounds (callsigns RG03 and RG04) from Sicily to Spain suggested that something was finally happening.

At the same time, new satellite images appeared showing the USS Ford—still alone—sailing west of Malta, a clear indication that the regrouping of her Carrier Strike Group might be imminent and that the ship is indeed preparing to leave the Mediterranean.