Last update on Jul.15, 2026

Aircraft Carrier Locations
USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78)

Huntington Ingalls Industries - Newport News Shipbuilding

Locations and Remarks

Actual construction is to begin in 3 January 2007 at Northrop Grumman Corp.'s Newport News shipyard. 11Aug2005, construction began 16Jun2006, An amendment added to the National Defense Authorization Act for 2007 proposes that CVN-78, the first ship in the CVN-78 class, be named for the 38th president "Gerald Ford" 05Sep2006, The Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) and the Program Executive Officer (PEO) held a signature and awards ceremony at the Washington Navy Yard to commemorate the certification of the ship specifications 16Jan2007, held the official naming ceremony of the USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78), the first aircraft carrier in the Ford class of carriers 10Sep2008, The Navy awarded Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding a $5.1 billion contract to begin construction 14Nov2009, the keel laying and authentication ceremony 24May2012, The final keel section, 680-metric-ton, 60-foot-tall lower bow unit was joined to the other keel sections and was the last major section of the ship installed below the waterline 11Jul2013, welded a time capsule inside the flight deck control room 11Oct2013, flooded Dry Dock 12 to float the first in PCU Gerald R. Ford 09Nov2013, held a christening ceremony at Huntington Ingalls Newport News Shipbuilding in Newport News 17Nov2013, launch and transit to Newport News Shipyard pier 3 for the final stages of construction and testing 12May2015, completed 22 no-load tests of Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS) 08Apr2017, departed Huntington Ingalls Industries - Newport News Shipbuilding 08Apr-14Apr2017, Builder's Sea Trials, off the coast of North Carolina 14Apr2017, returned to Newport News Shipbuilding 24May2017, departed Newport News Shipbuilding 24May-26May2017, acceptance trials by the Board of Inspection and Survey (INSURV) in the Atlantic Ocean 26May2017, returned to Newport News Shipbuilding 31May2017, delivered to the U.S. Navy

CVW not assigned

Locations and Remarks

Home Port : Norfolk, Va. 22Jul2017, 45th President of the United States Donald J. Trump christened the USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) at the christening ceremony at Newport News Shipbuilding 28Jul2017, departed Norfolk 29Jul2017, returned to Norfolk 02Aug2017, departed Norfolk 02Aug-16Aug2017, testing and evaluation operations off the Virginia coast 17Aug2017, returned to Norfolk 30Sep2017, departed Norfolk 30Sep-08Oct2017, testing and evaluation operations off the Virginia coast 09Oct2017, returned to Norfolk

CVW-3 (AC)

Locations and Remarks

Home Port : Norfolk, Va. 31Oct2017, departed Norfolk 01Nov-09Nov2017, carrier qualifications with CVW-3 off the coast of North Carolina 10Nov2017, returned to Norfolk 03Dec2017, departed Norfolk 03Dec-16Dec2017, off the coast of Virginia 17Dec2017, returned to Norfolk 11Jan2018, departed Norfolk 11Jan-26Jan2018, test and evaluation operations off the coast of Virginia 27Jan2018, returned to Norfolk 18May2018, departed Norfolk 18May-22May2018, off the coast of Virginia 23May2018, returned to Norfolk 31May2018, departed Norfolk 31May-07Jun2018, off the coast of Virginia 08Jun2018, returned to Norfolk

CVW not assigned

Locations and Remarks

Home Port : Norfolk, Va. 15Jul2018, moved to Huntington Ingalls Industries Newport News Shipbuilding (HII-NNS) to begin a Post Shakedown Availability (PSA) 25Oct2019, departed HII-NSS for sea trials 25Oct-29Oct2019, sea trials, Virginia Capes Operating Areas 30Oct2019, returned to Norfolk 06Nov2019, departed Norfolk 06Nov-24Nov2019, Independent Steaming Exercises, Virginia Capes Operating Areas 25Nov2019, returned to Norfolk 04Dec2019, departed Norfolk 04Dec-11Dec2019, Virginia Capes Operating Areas 12Dec2019, returned to Norfolk

CVW-8 (AJ)

Locations and Remarks

Home Port : Norfolk, Va. 16Jan2020, departed Norfolk 16Jan-30Jan2020, Aircraft Compatibility Testing (ACT) to Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch Systems (EMALS) and Advanced Arresting Gear (AAG), off the East Coast 31Jan2020, returned to Norfolk 03Feb2020, departed Norfolk 03Feb-11Feb2020, aircraft compatibility testing (ACT) off the East Coast 12Feb2020, returned to Norfolk 11Mar2020, departed Norfolk 11Mar-19Mar2020, Flight Deck Certification (FDC) and Carrier Air Traffic Control Center (CATCC) Certification, Virginia Capes Operating Areas 20Mar2020, completed FDC and CATCC Certification 21Mar-24Mar2020, Virginia Capes Operating Areas 25Mar2020, returned to Norfolk 26Mar2020, departed Norfolk 27Mar-12Apr2020, Fleet Replacement Squadron Carrier Qualifications (FRS-CQ), Virginia Capes Operating Areas 13Apr2020, returned to Norfolk 09May2020, departed Norfolk 09May-24May2020, Fleet Replacement Squadron Carrier Qualifications (FRS-CQ), Virginia Capes Operating Areas 25May2020, returned to Norfolk 28May2020, departed Norfolk 28May-06Jun2020, Post Delivery Test and Trials (PDT&T) operations with CVW-8, Virginia Capes Operating Areas 07Jun2020, returned to Norfolk 25Jul2020, departed Norfolk for Post Delivery Test and Trials (PDT&T) phase of operations 25Jul-29Jul2020, Virginia Capes Operating Areas 30Jul2020, completed an Air Intercept Control (AIC) event in the Virginia Capes Operating Areas 31Jul-04Aug2020, Virginia Capes Operating Areas 05Aug2020, completed 11th independent steaming event (ISE 11) 06Aug2020, Virginia Capes Operating Areas 07Aug2020, returned to Norfolk 01Sep2020, departed Norfolk 01Sep-08Sep2020, Virginia Capes Operating Areas 09Sep-17Sep2020, TAW-1 and TAW-2 Carrier Qualifications in the WestLant 18Sep-05Oct2020, post-delivery test and trials (PDT&T) phase of operations in the WestLant 06Oct2020, returned to Norfolk 27Oct2020, departed Norfolk 27Oct-02Nov2020, Carrier Qualifications for Fleet Replacement Squadron (FRS) in the Virginia Capes Operating Areas 03Nov2020, returned to Norfolk 05Nov2020, departed Norfolk 05Nov-19Nov2020, Virginia Capes Operating Areas 20Nov2020, returned to Norfolk 05Dec2020, departed Norfolk 05Dec-14Dec2020, Virginia Capes Operating Areas 15Dec2020, returned to Norfolk 28Jan2021, departed Norfolk 28Jan-02Feb2021, FRS Carrier Qualifications in the Virginia Capes Operating Areas 03Feb2021, WestLant 04Feb-07Feb2021, TRACOM Carrier Qualifications off the coast of Florida 08Feb-09Feb2021, WestLant 10Feb2021, returned to Norfolk 07Mar2021, departed Norfolk 07Mar-20Mar2021, Combat Systems Ship Qualification Trials (CSSQT) in the Virginia Capes Operating Areas 21Mar2021, returned to Norfolk 14Apr2021, departed Norfolk 14Apr-29Apr2021, Combat Systems Ship Qualification Trials (CSSQT) in the Virginia Capes Operating Areas 30Apr2021, returned to Norfolk 07Jun2021, departed Norfolk 07Jun-12Jun2021, Virginia Capes Operating Areas 13Jun-17Jun2021, off the east coast of Florida 18Jun2021, completed the first scheduled explosive event as part of Full Ship Shock Trials (FSST) 19Jun-21Jun2021, Virginia Capes Operating Areas 22Jun2021, returned to Norfolk 27Jun2021, departed Norfolk 27Jun-02Jul2021, Virginia Capes Operating Areas 03Jul2021, returned to Norfolk 13Jul2021, departed Norfolk 13Jul-18Jul2021, Virginia Capes Operating Areas 19Jul2021, returned to Norfolk 04Aug2021, departed Norfolk 04Aug-05Aug2021, WestLant 06Aug-09Aug2021, Full Ship Shock Trials off the coast of Florida 10Aug-12Aug2021, Virginia Capes Operating Areas 13Aug2021, returned to Norfolk 20Aug2021, moved from Naval Station Norfolk to Newport News Shipyard for a six-month Planned Incremental Availability (PIA) 25Feb2022, departed Newport News Shipyard 25Feb-27Feb2022, sea trials in the Virginia Capes Operating Areas 28Feb2022, returned to Norfolk 21Mar2022, departed Norfolk 21Mar-03Apr2022, Virginia Capes Operating Areas 04Apr2022, returned to Norfolk 08Apr2022, departed Norfolk 08Apr-23Apr2022, Virginia Capes Operating Areas 24Apr2022, returned to Norfolk 06Jun2022, departed Norfolk 06Jun-10Jun2022, Virginia Capes Operating Areas 11Jun2022, returned to Norfolk 06Jul2022, departed Norfolk 06Jul-14Jul2022, Virginia Capes Operating Areas 15Jul2022, returned to Norfolk 01Aug2022, departed Norfolk 01Aug-05Aug2022, Virginia Capes Operating Areas 06Aug2022, returned to Norfolk 16Sep2022, departed Norfolk 16Sep-27Sep2022, Tailored Ship's Training Availability and Final Evaluation Problem (TSTA/FEP), conducted ammo onload, in the Virginia Capes Operating Areas 28Sep2022, returned to Norfolk 03Oct2022, scheduled to leave Norfolk for what the Navy has called a "service retained" deployment, but was delayed by a weather front 04Oct2022, departed Norfolk for a "service retained" deployment 04Oct-27Oct2022, off the east coast 28Oct-31Oct2022, anchored off the coast of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada 01Nov-13Nov2022, operating in the Eastern Atlantic Ocean and is expected to make its next port call in Portsmouth, UK 14Nov-17Nov2022, anchored off the coast of Portsmouth, United Kingdom 18Nov-21Nov2022, Eastern Atlantic Ocean 22Nov-25Nov2022, en route to Norfolk 26Nov2022, returned to Norfolk 08Feb2023, departed Norfolk 08Feb-15Feb2023, Virginia Capes Operating Areas 16Feb2023, returned to Norfolk 02Mar2023, departed Norfolk 03Mar-01Apr2023, Composite Training Unit Exercise (COMPTUEX) in the Virginia Capes Operating Areas 02Apr2023, returned to Norfolk 02May2023, departed Norfolk on the first global deployment 02May-08May2023, Virginia Capes Operating Areas 09May-14May2023, Atlantic Ocean 15May-20May2023, Eastern Atlantic Ocean 21May-23May2023, North Sea 24May2023, transited the Oslo fjord for its first port call in Oslo, Norway 24May-28May2023, anchored off the south of Oslo, Norway 29May-01Jun2023, North Sea 02Jun-03Jun2023, Norwegian Sea 04Jun-06Jun2023, Baltic Operations 2023 in the Norwegian Sea 07Jun-10Jun2023, North Sea 11Jun-12Jun2023, Celtic Sea 13Jun2023, Eastern Atlantic Ocean 14Jun2023, Bay of Biscay 15Jun2023, transited the Strait of Gibraltar 15Jun-17Jun2023, Western Mediterranean Sea 18Jun-19Jun2023, Ionian Sea 20Jun-25Jun2023, Adriatic Sea 26Jun-29Jun2023, anchored off the coast of Split, Croatia 30Jun-07Jul2023, Adriatic Sea 08Jul-10Jul2023, Ionian Sea 11Jul-22Jul2023, Adriatic Sea 23Jul-24Jul2023, Ionian Sea 25Jul-26Jul2023, Saronic Gulf 27Jul-30Jul2023, anchored in Phaleron Bay, off the coast of Piraeus, Greece 31Jul2023, Saronic Gulf 01Aug2023, southwest of Crete, Med 02Aug2023, Ionian Sea 03Aug-10Aug2023, east of Sicily, Med 11Aug2023, Ionian Sea 12Aug-18Aug2023, Adriatic Sea 19Aug2023, Ionian Sea 20Aug-24Aug2023, south coast of Crete, Med 25Aug-28Aug2023, anchored off the coast of Antalya, Turkey 29Aug-01Sep2023, south coast of Crete, Med 02Sep-03Sep2023, Ionian Sea 04Sep-16Sep2023, Adriatic Sea 17Sep-20Sep2023, anchored off the coast of Trieste, Italy 21Sep-22Sep2023, Adriatic Sea 23Sep-24Sep2023, Ionian Sea 25Sep-01Oct2023, Adriatic Sea 02Oct-04Oct2023, Ionian Sea 05Oct-07Oct2023, Western Mediterranean Sea 08Oct2023, order to sail to Eastern Mediterranean 10Oct2023, arrived in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea, in order to deter any actor seeking to escalate the situation or widen this war 10Oct-15Nov2023, Eastern Mediterranean Sea 16Nov-20Nov2023, Mediterranean Sea 21Oct-01Dec2023, Eastern Mediterranean Sea 02Dec-05Dec2023, Souda Bay, Greece 06Dec-25Dec2023, Eastern Mediterranean Sea 27Dec-30Dec2023, Souda Bay, Greece 31Dec2023-02Jan2024, Eastern Mediterranean Sea 03Jan-04Jan2024, Mediterranean Sea 05Jan2024, transited the Strait of Gibraltar 05Jan-16Jan2024, in the Atlantic Ocean and on its way home 17Jan2024, returned to Norfolk 22Aug2024, departed Norfolk 22Aug-25Aug2024, Virginia Capes Operating Areas 26Aug2024, returned to Norfolk 06Sep2024, departed Norfolk 06Sep-10Sep2024, Virginia Capes Operating Areas 11Sep2024, returned to Norfolk 16Sep2024, departed Norfolk 16Sep-23Sep2024, Virginia Capes Operating Areas 24Sep2024, returned to Norfolk 21Oct2024, departed Norfolk 21Oct-14Nov2024, Virginia Capes Operating Areas 15Nov2024, returned to Norfolk 06Dec2024, departed Norfolk 06Dec-14Dec2024, Virginia Capes Operating Areas 15Dec2024, returned to Norfolk 24Jan2025, departed Norfolk 24Jan-03Feb2025, Virginia Capes Operating Areas 04Feb2025, returned to Norfolk 14Mar2025, departed Norfolk 14Mar-14Apr2025, Composite Training Unit Exercise (COMPTUEX) in the Virginia Capes Operating Areas 15Apr2025, returned to Norfolk 26Apr2025, departed Norfolk 26Apr2025, Friends and Family Day Cruise 26Apr2025, returned to Norfolk 24Jun2025, departed Norfolk for a regularly-scheduled deployment to the U.S. European Command (EUCOM) area of responsibility 24Jun-30Jun2025, Virginia Capes Operating Areas 01Jul-15Jul2025, Atlantic Ocean 16Jul-18Jul2025, north of Azores, Portugal, Atlantic Ocean 19Jul2025, transited the Strait of Gibraltar 19Jul-21Jul2025, Mediterranean 22Jul2025, Ionian Sea 23Jul-26Jul2025, Adriatic Sea 27Jul-30Jul2025, Ionian Sea 31Jul-03Aug2025, Mediterranean Sea 04Aug-08Aug2025, arrived in Marseille, France 09Aug2025, Western Mediterranean Sea 10Aug-12Aug2025, Mediterranean Sea 13Aug2025, transited the Strait of Gibraltar westbound 13Aug-16Aug2025, Atlantic Ocean 17Aug2025, transited the Strait of Dover into the North Sea 17Aug-22Aug2025, North Sea 23Aug-08Sep2025, conducted routine operations in the High North region, Norwegian Sea 09Sep-11Sep2025, off the south coast of Norway 12Sep-15Sep2025, anchored south of Oslo, Norway 16Sep-26Sep2025, North Sea 27Sep2025, transited the Strait of Dover southbound 27Sep-28Sep2025, transited westbound in the English Channel 29Sep-30Sep2025, Atlantic Ocean 01Oct2025, transited the Strait of Gibraltar eastbound 01Oct-02Oct2025, Mediterranean Sea 03Oct-06Oct2025, anchored southeast coast of Palma de Mallorca, Spain 07Oct-11Oct2025, western Mediterranean Sea 12Oct-14Oct2025, Mediterranean Sea 14Oct-18Oct2025, Ionian Sea 19Oct2025, transited the Strait of Otranto northbound 20Oct2025, Adriatic Sea 21Oct-25Oct2025, anchored off the coast of Split, Croatia 26Oct2025, Adriatic Sea 27Oct2025, transited the Strait of Otranto southbound 27Oct-01Nov2025, Ionian Sea 01Nov2025, transited the Strait of Sicily westbound, 01Nov-02Nov2025, western Mediterranean Sea 03Nov2025, western Mediterranean Sea and is set to enter the Atlantic shortly 04Nov2025, transited the Strait of Gibraltar westbound 04Nov-10Nov2025, eastern Atlantic Ocean 11Nov-15Nov2025, Atlantic Ocean 16Nov2025, transited the Anegada Passage 17Nov-30Nov2025, south of Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands 01Dec-04Dec2025, anchored off the coast of Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas Island, U.S. Virgin Islands 05Dec2025-05Jan2026, south of Puerto Rico 06Jan-07Jan2025, Sargasso Sea 08Jan-19Jan2026, south of Puerto Rico 21Jan-24Jan2026, anchored off the coast of Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas Island, U.S. Virgin Islands 25Jan-12Feb2026, south of Puerto Rico 13Feb-14Feb2026, Sargasso Sea 15Feb-19Feb2026, Eastern Atlantic Ocean 20Feb2026, transited the Strait of Gibraltar 20Feb-22Feb2026, Mediterranean Sea 23Feb-26Feb2026, Souda Bay, Greece 27Feb2026, southeast of Crete 28Feb-04Mar2026, Eastern Mediterranean Sea in support of Operation Epic Fury 05Mar2026, transited the Suez Canal southbound 06Mar-11Mar2026, northern part of the Red Sea, off the coast of Al Wajh, Saudi Arabia in support of Operation Epic Fury 12Mar2026, A fire started in a dryer vent in the laundry facilities and spread quickly, lasting for more than 30 hours before sailors managed to put it out 13Mar-20Mar2026, northern part of the Red Sea 21Mar2026, transited the Suez Canal northbound, headed to Souda Bay for repairs after fire, USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) could be sidelined for at least a week at Naval Support Activity Souda Bay on the Greek island of Crete, where pierside repairs will be carried out on the USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) 21Mar-22Mar2026, Eastern Mediterranean Sea 23Mar-26Mar2026, NSA Souda Bay, Crete for repairs after suffering a laundry fire 27Mar2026, transited the Strait of Otranto northbound to Adriatic Sea 28Mar-01Apr2026, anchored in the Port of Split, Croatia for scheduled repairs and resupply 02Apr2025, departed Split, Croatia 02Apr2026, Adriatic Sea 03Apr-15Apr2026, Eastern Mediterranean Sea 16Apr2026, transited the Suez Canal southbound 16Apr-30Apr2026, northern part of the Red Sea 01May2026, transited the Suez Canal northbound 02May-05May2026, Mediterranean Sea 06May2026, transited the Strait of Gibraltar westbound to begin the return journey its homeport Norfolk 07May-15May2026, trasiting Atlantic Ocean to homeport Norfolk 16May2026, returned to Norfolk