The world\u2019s largest aircraft carrier officially earned the distinction of having the longest modern deployment Wednesday, when it marked 296 days at sea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The USS Abraham Lincoln previously held that record, having deployed<\/a> for 295 days in January 2020.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The USS Nimitz was at sea<\/a> for a record 341 days in 2020 and 2021, but parts of that deployment were plagued by quarantine periods intended to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, which saw the carrier stationed ashore. The Nimitz was forward-deployed in support of American security interests for only 263 days, factoring in those isolation periods, according<\/a> to USNI News.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Ford\u2019s record didn\u2019t come as a surprise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n During a March 31 appearance at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Daryl Caudle said<\/a> the carrier would likely see a \u201crecord-breaking deployment.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n And Vice Chief of Naval Operations Adm. James Kilby told<\/a> lawmakers at a Senate Armed Services Committee in March that he expected the Ford to reach an 11-month extended deployment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The current record for longest deployment, modern or historic, is held by the USS Midway, which was at sea for 332 days<\/a> during the Vietnam War.<\/p>\n\n\n\t