USS Gerald R. Ford Now in the Red Sea, USS George H.W. Bush Wraps Pre-Deployment Exercises

Mallory Shelbourne – March 6, 2026 3:34 PM

USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78), transits the Suez Canal, March 5, 2026. US Navy photo

Aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) is now operating in the Middle East as the U.S. war with Iran nears its second week.

The Pentagon on Friday posted photos showing Ford and USS Bainbridge (DDG-96) sailing through the Suez Canal on Thursday.

The transit takes the Navy’s newest aircraft carrier into a part of U.S. Central Command where the Iran-backed Houthis have attacked both U.S. warships and commercial vessels over the last two-and-a-half years. Since the war with Iran began on Saturday, the Houthis have expressed support for Iran but have not said whether they plan to resume their attacks on shipping, USNI News previously reported.

Meanwhile, the next aircraft carrier expected to deploy from the United States finished its training exercise on Thursday, the Navy announced.

USS George H.W. Bush (CVN-77), its escorts and air wing wrapped up the composite unit training exercise that all carrier strike groups must do before becoming certified for national tasking.

“The GHWB CSG repeatedly demonstrated the accurate and rapid launch and recovery of its air assets,” reads a news release from U.S. Fleet Forces.

Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Bainbridge (DDG-96) transits the Suez Canal, March 5, 2026. US Navy photo

“Over the course of 28 days, Carrier Air Wing 7 flew 1,586 sorties, tallying up a robust 693 arrested landings during the day and 682 at night,” the release continues. “The culmination of such speed and endurance is an offensive capability unique to the United States that enables a level of warfighting strength that is not lost on Fentress.”

Carrier officials in the release emphasized that the CSG is now primed to deploy.

“We know our fellow service members are operating in harm’s way right now,” Bush commanding officer Capt. Robert Bibeau said in a statement.

“Our job is to ensure that when they need us – whether for air superiority, strike, electronic warfare, or presence – we are ready to deliver immediately and without hesitation.”

Two carrier strike groups are currently on station in the region as the ongoing conflict with Iran continues. While Ford is in the Red Sea, USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) is operating in the Arabian Sea, according to the latest USNI News Fleet and Marine Tracker.

Ahead of the Trump administration’s strikes on Iran last week, the Defense Department in mid-February tasked Ford to the Middle East in an extension that reportedly could last until May.

As of this week, Ford’s extension is setting the carrier up for an 11-month deployment, Vice Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Jim Kilby told lawmakers on Wednesday.

https://flo.uri.sh/visualisation/27932245/embed

“That extension will ultimately be about an 11-month deployment,” Kilby told the Senate Armed Services Committee’s subcommittee on readiness and management support. “So there’ll be an impact on her return and the schedule for her maintenance availability so she’s ready to go again,” he added. “The good part about our public shipyards is they’re adjusting that schedule. They’re ready to bring our carrier back and maintain her.”

Ford deployed from Norfolk, Va., on June 24, so an 11-month deployment would mean the carrier is expected to stay out into May.

If Ford is out until mid-April, the ship will break the post-Vietnam War 294-day record for carrier deployments that Lincoln set in 2020. If the carrier is out until early May, its deployment would be on par with the 300-day-plus deployments during the Vietnam War to the Gulf of Tonkin.

USNI News carrier deployment data is based on an internal database that does not include certification cruises, training exercises or other qualification underways. The data only incorporates operational carrier deployments for national tasking as a measure of U.S. combat power and doesn’t account for the time sailors are away from home.

During the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, USS Nimitz (CVN-68) was underway for just under a year because of restriction of movement orders and few port visits in an attempt to curb the spread of the virus. The carrier was out for national tasking for 263 days.

Mallory Shelbourne

Mallory Shelbourne is a reporter for USNI News. She previously covered the Navy for Inside Defense and reported on politics for The Hill.
Follow @MalShelbourne

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No decision to send Royal Navy carrier to Eastern Mediterranean, No 10 insists - Lisa Mitchell 9th March 2026 at 4:00pm

If she is eventually deployed to the region, HMS Prince of Wales will bring a massive amount of firepower in the shape of her F-35 Lightnings (Picture: MOD)

Royal Navy flagship HMS Prince of Wales is being kept at a state of high readiness, but no decision has been taken to deploy her, Downing Street has said.

Reports emerged at the weekend saying her readiness had been reduced from 14 days to five, prompting speculation that she could sail to the region to protect Britons and UK interests amid the war between the US, Israel and Iran.

However, the Prime Minister's official spokesman denied this was the case.

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"HMS Prince of Wales has always been on very high readiness," he said.

"The MOD is increasing the preparedness of the carrier, reducing the time it would take to set sail for any deployment, but there is no decision taken to deploy her."

Extra defences have been put into the Middle East since January, including F-35s, Typhoons, air defence systems and counter-drone teams.

617 Squadron F-35B Lightning jets are currently operating from RAF Akrotiri amid the ongoing crisis between the US, Israel and Iran – the fifth-generation fighters are usually based at RAF Marham (Picture: MOD)

Type 45 destroyer HMS Dragon is currently being prepared for her deployment from Portsmouth to the Mediterranean this week.

Two Royal Navy Wildcat helicopters have arrived at RAF Akrotiri, These aircraft are armed with Martlet missiles which should provide an solid and cost-effective counter to any incoming aerial threats.

A Merlin helicopter has also arrived equipped with a Crowsnest surveillance and control system.

Chief of the Defence Staff Air Chief Marshal Sir Rich Knighton said "we were well set with our posture that's been built up over several weeks".

He said he was "enormously proud of the work of the Royal Navy, who have been working night and day" to get HMS Dragon ready with munitions and stores on board and get her out of her state of maintenance.

HMS Dragon has been loaded up with stores ahead of her sailing (Picture: MOD)

A Ministry of Defence spokesperson said: "We have been bolstering our UK military presence in the Middle East since January, and we have already deployed capabilities to protect British people and our allies in the region, including Typhoons, F-35 jets, air defence systems and an extra 400 personnel into Cyprus.

"Since the strikes began, we've had British jets in the sky shooting down drowns and have sent additional assets to the region to further reinforce our air defences, including more Typhoons and Wildcat helicopters with drone-busting missiles.

"HMS Prince of Wales has always been on very high readiness and we are increasing the preparedness of the carrier, reducing the time it would take to set sail for any deployment."

B-1 Lancer bombers have already been in action against Iranian targets (Picture: US Department of War)

Over the weekend, the MOD confirmed the US had started using British bases for "specific defensive operations to prevent Iran firing missiles into the region" after American bombers landed at RAF Fairford.

A 146ft B-1 Lancer bomber arrived in Gloucestershire on Friday, and three more followed on Saturday.

RAF Typhoon and F-35 jets are continuing air operations over Jordan, Qatar and Cyprus.

Related topics

UK aircraft carrier given five days to be ready to deploy

 See full posts here - https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c39w2nj1rk8o

James Landale,Diplomatic correspondentand

Ian Casey

PA Media

The aircraft carrier weighs 65,000 tonnes and has a flight deck big enough for three football pitches.

One of the UK's two aircraft carriers has been placed on advanced readiness to sail from Portsmouth.

The crew of HMS Prince of Wales have been told they must be ready to leave in five days, defence sources said.

This may raise speculation the carrier could be deployed to the Mediterranean to help defend British interests threatened during the conflict in the Middle East.

Before this, the ship's "notice to sail" was 14 days.

On Saturday night, US President Donald Trump criticised Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer for not sending carriers to the Middle East earlier.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump said: "The United Kingdom, our once Great Ally, maybe the Greatest of them all, is finally giving serious thought to sending two aircraft carriers to the Middle East."

He added: "That's OK, Prime Minister Starmer, we don't need them any longer - But we will remember. We don't need people that join Wars after we've already won!"

The UK government has not joined offensive operations with regard to Iran or given any commitment to do so.

The government has been accused of not acting fast enough to protect Cyprus from enemy drones and missiles.

Sir Keir denied the UK was not prepared for the conflict, saying Britain had begun pre-deploying assets to the region earlier this year - particularly to Qatar and Cyprus - alongside the US and other allies.

Defence sources said 400 additional UK personnel had been sent over the past weeks to support air defence activities across the UK's bases in Cyprus.

Meanwhile, more US B-1 Lancer bombers have arrived at RAF Fairford.

In other developments:

• The head of the British military, Chief of the Defence Staff Sir Richard Knighton, told the BBC he "completely" rejected criticism that the UK had been ill-prepared for the conflict in the Middle East

• Iran's ambassador to the UK, Seyed Ali Mousavi, told the BBC's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme that his country would continue to defend itself if the "aggression from the American and Israeli side" continued.

• Evacuation measures at RAF Akrotiri were extended until next week after a security assessment carried out with the Cypriot government. A small drone struck the runway at the base earlier this week, causing what the Ministry of Defence said was "minimal damage"

US military planes arrive at RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire

A Type 45 destroyer, HMS Dragon, has been deployed to the region but will not be ready to leave Portsmouth until next week.

HMS Prince of Wales is in Portsmouth receiving routine maintenance ahead of a planned deployment to the North Atlantic and Arctic later this year.

The carrier strike group was due to take part in Operation Firecrest alongside US, Canadian and European allies to deter Russian aggression in the High North.

A defence source told the BBC the Prince of Wales had had "her readiness increased to five days' notice to sail".

The MoD confirmed the change in status for the carrier.

A ministry spokesperson said: "We have been bolstering our UK military presence in the Middle East since January, and we have already deployed capabilities to protect British people and our allies in the region, including Typhoons, F-35 jets, air defence systems and an extra 400 personnel into Cyprus.

"Since the strikes began, we've had British jets in the sky shooting down drones and have sent additional assets to the region to further reinforce our air defences, including more Typhoons and Wildcat helicopters with drone busting missiles.

"HMS Prince of Wales has always been on very high readiness and we are increasing the preparedness of the carrier, reducing the time it would take to set sail for any deployment."

HMS Prince of Wales is one of the Royal Navy's most powerful surface warships and is capable of sailing 500 miles per day.

It is over 900ft (280m) long and can carry up to 24 F-35B stealth jets, plus helicopters and drones, with 1,600 personnel.

PA Media

A police officer separated rival demonstrators outside RAF Fairford

The MoD also confirmed the US had started using British bases "for specific defensive operations".

The first B-1 arrived at RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire on Friday evening, followed by three more of the jets and a C-5 airlifter on Saturday.

Dozens of anti-war protesters gathered outside the base, carrying flags and placards. A smaller group of people also attended in support of the UK military.

In London, thousands of protesters called for an end to attacks on Iran, which they said were illegal, unprovoked and unjustified. Marching towards the US Embassy, they held placards saying "Hands off Iran" and "Stop Trump's Wars".

In a separate protest headed from Downing Street to the Iranian Embassy, other demonstrators called for a free and democratic Iran.

While much of the anger on the anti-war march was aimed as the US president, protesters were clear that the UK should not blindly follow the US into a war in the Middle East.

Sir Keir has come under mounting criticism for his approach to the crisis. Last week, he defended his decision not to permit the US to use British bases in the opening assault against Tehran, arguing that the government must keep a "cool head". But on Saturday, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch renewed her attacks on the prime minister's approach, saying he was "too scared to make foreign interventions."

EPA

Protesters marched in London