Second US aircraft carrier to head to Middle East amid Iran tensions, US media reports
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The USS Gerald R. Ford arrives in St Thomas, US Virgin Islands, on Dec 1, 2025.
PHOTO: REUTERS
WASHINGTON - The Pentagon is sending an aircraft carrier from the Caribbean to the Middle East, two US officials told Reuters on Feb 13, a move that would put two carriers in the region as tensions soar between the United States and Iran.
The Gerald R. Ford carrier, the United States’ newest and the world’s largest carrier, has been operating in the Caribbean with its escort ships and took part in operations in Venezuela earlier in 2026.
One of the officials, who was speaking on condition of anonymity, said the carrier would take at least a week to reach the Middle East.
With only 11 aircraft carriers in the US military’s arsenal, they are a scarce resource and their schedules are usually set well in advance.
The Gerald R. Ford will join the Abraham Lincoln carrier, several guided-missile destroyers, fighter jets and surveillance aircraft that have been moved to the Middle East in recent weeks.
President Donald Trump had said this week he was considering sending a second aircraft carrier
On Feb 12, he suggested an agreement with Iran could be struck over the next month.
“We have to make a deal, otherwise it’s going to be very traumatic, very traumatic,” Mr Trump told reporters.
Long deployment
The Ford has essentially been at sea since June 2025. It was supposed to be operating in Europe before it was abruptly moved to the Caribbean in November 2025.
While deployments for carriers usually last nine months, it is not uncommon for them to be extended during periods of increased US military activity.
Navy officials have long warned that long deployments at sea can hurt morale on ships.
Officials said the administration had looked at sending a separate carrier, the Bush, to the Middle East, but it was undergoing certification and would take over a month to reach the Middle East.
The Ford, which has a nuclear reactor on board, can hold more than 75 military aircraft, including fighter aircraft like the F-18 Super Hornet jets and the E-2 Hawkeye, which can act as an early warning system.
The Ford also includes sophisticated radar that can help control air traffic and navigation.
The supporting ships, such as the Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruiser Normandy, Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyers Thomas Hudner, Ramage, Carney, and Roosevelt, include surface-to-air, surface-to-surface and anti-submarine warfare capabilities. REUTERS
