超级航母“杰拉尔德·R·福特”号创下了一项令人关注的后越战时代纪录：其连续部署时间达到297天，打破了“亚伯拉罕·林肯”号在2019年至2020年间创下的295天纪录。除了部署周期极长外，“福特”号的此次任务也遭遇了诸多挑战，包括一次迫使其返港维修的洗衣房火灾，以及据报道的一系列排污系统问题。
作为同类中最大、最昂贵的新一代超级航母首舰，其造价高达130亿美元。2025年6月24日，“福特”号从诺福克出发前往欧洲执行例行航行。11月，该舰跨越大西洋转向加勒比海，旨在增强对委内瑞拉前领导人马杜罗的施压行动。随后，它于2月被派往地中海参与海军集结，并进入红海北端参与针对伊朗的打击任务。
3月12日，“福特”号洗衣房发生严重火灾，损毁了住舱区域，迫使大量船员采取临时住宿安排。尽管作战行动持续，但该舰最终撤离战位前往苏达湾维修，随后转至克罗地亚斯普利特继续进行内部受损修复。如果该舰立即启程返回诺福克，加上航程时间，其总部署天数将至少达到310天。若在地中海的任务延长至5月，其部署总时长极有可能超过“中途岛”号在1972年“后卫行动”期间创下的332天全史纪录。美国海军长期警告称，过度延长部署将带来严重后果。
The supercarrier USS Gerald R. Ford has set a new and unwanted post-Vietnam record, achieving 297 days of continuous deployment - exceeding the 295-day mark set by USS Abraham Lincoln in 2019-2020. In addition to its exceptional length, Ford's deployment has been marked by challenges, notably including a laundry-room fire that forced her to return to port for repairs and a reported series of sewage-system problems.
Ford is the first of a new class of supercarriers, the largest and most expensive of the type ever built. At $13 billion, she is a contender for the title of most valuable vessel ever constructed, rivaled only by Shell's groundbreaking FLNG Prelude (exact price undisclosed).
Ford deployed from Norfolk on June 24, 2025 for a routine voyage to Europe, but in November she re-crossed the Atlantic and transited to the Caribbean to augment the pressure campaign on then-Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. She was tasked with joining the naval buildup in the Mediterranean in February, then moved into the northern Red Sea to join in strike missions on Iran.
On March 12, Ford sustained a serious fire in a laundry room, damaging berthing areas and forcing large numbers of crewmembers to seek improvised sleeping arrangements. Combat operations continued, but Ford was eventually pulled off station and sent to Souda Bay for repairs. She then transferred to Split, Croatia, where work to fix interior damage continued, and then returned to sea for a patrol in the Eastern Mediterranean.
If the carrier left station today and returned to Norfolk, she would still be deployed for another two weeks for the long journey back, reaching at minimum the 310-day mark. If her time in the Mediterranean is extended into early May, pushing back her return to Norfolk until late May or early June, Ford could easily surpass the all-time record set by USS Midway during the peak of Operation Linebacker (April 10, 1972 to March 3, 1973, a total of 332 days).
The Navy has long warned that extended deployments disrupt maintenance periods, wear out equipment and prolong repairs for months or years, thereby increasing the burden on other carriers. If yard periods run over because of unplanned repairs caused by excessive use, a smaller pool of carriers has to cover the same level of tasking from combatant commanders.
The carrier USS George H.W. Bush has deployed from Norfolk and may relieve Ford; the Navy is building up its presence in the Mideast in case combat with Iran resumes, and Ford - though already extended several times - could contribute to strike missions or to anti-drone defense if required.
At present, preliminary talks between Washington and Tehran are progressing, but on Thursday, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth warned that strikes on Iran would resume if no deal is reached.
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