ABC News reports that the USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier strike group is set to depart the eastern Mediterranean Sea, over two months after its deployment following the October attack by Hamas on Israel.
The strike group, including the carrier and accompanying surface ships, will return to its home base in Norfolk, Virginia, in the next few days, as was initially planned, according to statements from a senior U.S. official and another U.S. official. The group’s return is part of preparations for future deployments.
The USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, another U.S. Navy carrier strike group, was initially directed to join the USS Ford in the eastern Mediterranean. However, it was subsequently redirected to the Arabian Sea where its aircraft are protecting shipping lanes.