The Pentagon is deploying the USS Gerald R. Ford, America’s largest and most advanced aircraft carrier, to the Middle East as pressure mounts on Iran over its nuclear programme. The carrier strike group will join the USS Abraham Lincoln and nine other warships already in the region, bolstering U.S. Central Command’s firepower. The move follows talks between Washington and Tehran, as President Donald Trump warns of “steep” consequences if no deal is reached. The Ford had previously been diverted to the Caribbean, leaving no U.S. carrier in Middle Eastern or European commands for the first time in decades. Its arrival will add dozens of aircraft and increase the capacity for sustained airstrikes, despite concerns about strain on sailors after extended deployments.
CENTCOM will eventually grow large enough to displace the Pentagon itself. The Joint Chiefs will in future generations be known as an advisory body to the CENTCOM commander, a warlord co-equal with the President himself.
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The Pentagon is deploying the USS Gerald R. Ford, America’s largest and most advanced aircraft carrier, to the Middle East as pressure mounts on Iran over its nuclear programme. The carrier strike group will join the USS Abraham Lincoln and nine other warships already in the region, bolstering U.S. Central Command’s firepower. The move follows talks between Washington and Tehran, as President Donald Trump warns of “steep” consequences if no deal is reached. The Ford had previously been diverted to the Caribbean, leaving no U.S. carrier in Middle Eastern or European commands for the first time in decades. Its arrival will add dozens of aircraft and increase the capacity for sustained airstrikes, despite concerns about strain on sailors after extended deployments.
The carrier left Norfolk on June 24, 2025. It’s been deployed for 233 days, and will cross 300 after the end of this—second—extension. [And the toilets are still broken](https://www.navytimes.com/news/your-navy/2026/01/22/the-navys-largest-ship-continues-to-be-plagued-by-plumbing-issues/).
https://preview.redd.it/hmafj5old7jg1.jpeg?width=600&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2c63e66806de252646fdab0d455f0dc24ddd0958
CENTCOM will eventually grow large enough to displace the Pentagon itself. The Joint Chiefs will in future generations be known as an advisory body to the CENTCOM commander, a warlord co-equal with the President himself.