Largest aircraft carrier in the world heads to Middle East

February 13, 2026, by Fatima Bahtić

The United States is deploying a second aircraft carrier to the Middle East, with the nuclear-powered USS Gerald R. Ford set to join the USS Abraham Lincoln strike group already operating in the region, according to US media reports.

The redeployment signals a significant expansion of American naval air power in the Middle East at a time when negotiations over Tehran’s nuclear activities have yet to produce a breakthrough.

President Donald Trump has stated that Washington prefers a diplomatic resolution but warned that failure to reach an agreement could result in serious repercussions.

Originally operating in the Caribbean following an extended mission, the USS Gerald R. Ford had been expected to return home in the coming months.

However, according to information published by the New York Times, which cited four US officials who spoke on condition, the carrier’s crew was informed that the vessel would instead head toward the Persian Gulf to reinforce US forces there. They are not expected to return to their home ports until late April or early May. This will also prevent the necessary scheduled maintenance of the vessel, it was added.

To remind, USS Gerald R. Ford departed from the port of Norfolk, Virginia, in June of last year and was redirected to the Caribbean Sea in October 2025.

World’s largest aircraft carrier sails into Caribbean waters

Alongside the aircraft carrier, the Carrier strike group includes nine embarked squadrons of Carrier Air Wing Eight, Destroyer Squadron Two’s Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers USS Bainbridge (DDG 96) and USS Mahan (DDG 72), and the integrated air and missile defense command ship USS Winston S. Churchill (DDG 81).

The Middle East already hosts a sizable US military presence, including guided-missile destroyers and support ships accompanying the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln. The addition of another carrier strike group represents a rare concentration of American naval strength in the area and underscores Washington’s emphasis on deterrence.