U.S. aircraft carrier breaks Vietnam war record

As of April 16, the Gerald R. Ford, the world’s largest aircraft carrier, had been on a mission for 295 days, breaking the record for the longest mission duration by a U.S. ship since the Vietnam War, according to the AP.

The previous record was held by the U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln, which spent 294 days at sea in 2020. Typically, a mission lasts no more than six months.

The Gerald R. Ford’s mission began back in June 2025, when it departed from its homeport in Virginia for the Mediterranean Sea. In October, it was redeployed to the coast of Venezuela, and from the Caribbean Sea to the Middle East in connection with the campaign against Iran.

The ship has been the subject of heightened attention for several months due to concerns about the crew’s morale and incidents that have occurred on board during this time.

Photo: U.S. Navy.