The North American nuclear aircraft carrier “Gerald R. Ford”, considered the largest warship in the world, was placed under NATO command to participate in maneuvers in the Norwegian Sea, the Atlantic Alliance announced today.
The Gerald R. Ford is 333 meters long and 41 meters wide, has a crew of 4,500 and can accommodate up to 90 aircraft and helicopters.
The aircraft carrier arrived in the waters of the Oslofjord less than two weeks ago, on May 24, and has been under Allied command since Friday for the purpose of carrying out maritime security and training activities planned with the Naval Attack Forces. (SFN) in the Norwegian Sea, the organization said in a statement.
NATO also says this is a “planned” deployment of the US carrier and that the activities it will participate in with other capabilities from allied countries will take place next week, with Norway as the host country.
The strike group consists of the Ford-class aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78), Carrier Air Wing Eight (CVW 8), Destroyer Squadron Two (DESRON 2), the Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Normandy (CG 60) and the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Ramage (DDG 61).
As explained by the organization, Gerald R. Ford’s collaboration and transition to NATO command enhances the interoperability of Allied forces and the agility of the transatlantic organization’s command and control structures.
“This transfer of authority is a tangible and transparent demonstration of the Alliance’s advanced capabilities in ‘omni-domain’ operations and defensive deployments in the Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) area of responsibility,” the organization said.
The last time NATO commanded a US carrier strike group was in March 2023, with the US aircraft carrier USS George HW Bush in the Mediterranean and participating in the Neptune Strike exercise.
Source: DN
