US Latest Aircraft Carrier Departs for First European Deployment to Counter Russian Provocations

On the 4th (local time), the U.S. Navy's latest aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, departed from Norfolk Naval Base in Virginia to be deployed to the 2nd Fleet, which has jurisdiction over the European region.
[Image source=U.S. Navy]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] The USS Gerald R. Ford, the United States' next-generation aircraft carrier, has embarked on its maiden voyage for deployment to the Second Fleet, which oversees operations in the Atlantic and European theaters. Scheduled to be commissioned next year, the carrier is set to participate in joint exercises with NATO allies starting early next month. This move is interpreted as an effort to counter the increasing threat of nuclear provocations from Russia.

According to CNN on the 4th (local time), the carrier strike group centered around the Ford departed for the first time from the Norfolk Naval Base in Virginia. The strike group is expected to move to the European region for deployment to the Second Fleet, which will oversee the Atlantic and European areas starting next year. It will also take part in NATO allies' joint exercises held in the Atlantic operational area on the 3rd of next month.

The joint exercises are seen as a strong warning and deterrence against Russia, which has recently escalated its nuclear provocations. The training will involve 20 warships, 60 aircraft, and over 9,000 personnel from nine countries: the United States, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, and Sweden.

Commissioned in 2017, the Ford is a state-of-the-art nuclear-powered aircraft carrier with a construction cost of $13.3 billion (approximately 19 trillion KRW). It is regarded as having superior capabilities compared to existing carriers. According to the U.S. Navy, the Ford can carry up to 75 aircraft and is equipped with an Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS), which allows for safer and faster aircraft launches. Its power consumption is more than three times that of the existing Nimitz-class carriers, yet it operates with a smaller crew of 4,500 compared to the 7,000 to 8,000 personnel on previous carriers, enabling longer operational endurance.

Analysts suggest that the deployment of this powerful conventional force, the latest aircraft carrier, to the Atlantic region will put relative pressure on Russia. Bradley Martin, a researcher at the RAND Corporation, explained in an interview with the Associated Press, "This shows the forces we would have to face if Russia invades areas outside Ukraine or escalates tensions in Ukraine to an unacceptable level for us."