Overview
- The U.S. Navy’s Gerald R. Ford left NATO operations in the North Sea and is now operating in the Caribbean with reporting that it is headed toward Venezuela.
- Venezuelan authorities reinforced their military presence in response to the carrier’s arrival in the region, according to local reporting.
- The redeployment follows the carrier’s participation in Neptune Strike, a multinational NATO activity spanning northern and southern European seas.
- NATO reported involvement from 13 nations with about 20 ships, multiple submarines, special forces and more than 10,000 personnel to test joint readiness.
- The Ford class features EMALS catapults, parallel launch and recovery operations and space for roughly 90 combat aircraft, underscoring its rapid strike reach.