The aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford entered the Caribbean Sea this Sunday and brought the total number of United States warships in the region to 11. Movement integrates the operation and was confirmed by the US Navy, which described the deployment as part of actions to dismantle transnational criminal organizations.
The strike group crossed the Anegada Passage after sailing across the western Atlantic since 11 November. The arrival comes amid increased military pressure from Washington, which. ABC highlighted that the Gerald Ford carries more than 60 combat aircraft, expanding the air power available for operations.
US talks about threat to regional security
In the official announcement, the commander of Southern Command, Admiral Alvin Holsey, stated that the operation works to address risks that, according to him, compromise stability in the Western Hemisphere. In a stark statement, he said: “We are ready to combat transnational threats that seek to destabilize our region.” Rear Admiral Paul Lanzilotta added that the Gerald Ford was activated because it was considered one of the Navy’s most capable and lethal platforms. “Our strength will be where it matters, when it matters,” he said.
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The arrival of the aircraft carrier gained visibility after images showed the vessel alongside the destroyers Winston Churchill, Mahan and Bainbridge, as well as fighters and a B52 bomber flying over the formation. The American military presence in the Caribbean now reaches 15,000 members, a number described by ABC as the highest in decades. In Trinidad and Tobago, members of the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit began joint training in urban and rural areas.
The advance of the operation comes amid worsening tensions between Washington and the government of Nicolás Maduro. American outlets recently reported that action options involving Venezuelan targets were presented to senior US officials, although no decision has been made official.
Gerald R. Ford, the largest aircraft carrier in the world
The Gerald R. Ford is described by the Navy itself as the largest aircraft carrier in the world. The vessel brings together more than 4 thousand sailors and dozens of tactical aircraft. The ship is capable of launch and recover fixed-wing aircraft simultaneously on its deck, during the day and at night, a feature that increases the ability to carry out sustained operations at sea.
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The aircraft carrier can operate for long periods without returning to shore and was designed to increase the launch rate of aircraft. The Navy highlights that its system allows continuous operations, supported by nine squadrons embarkedin addition to the destroyers and command ships that make up the attack group.
Before arriving in the Caribbean, the Gerald Ford conducted multi-domain operations in the Atlantic, sailed above the Arctic Circle, crossed the Mediterranean and participated in NATO exercises. The journey accumulated stops at ports in Europe until crossing the Strait of Gibraltar on November 4, when it began the journey towards Latin America.
Gerald Ford’s presence in the Caribbean reinforces Operation Southern Spear and increases expectations about the next steps of the American strategy in the region, according to United States vehicles.
