NORFOLK, Va. — The USS Gerald R. Ford and the Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group (GRFCSG) are returning home to Naval Station Norfolk Saturday, the U.S. Navy announced.
The group's return marks the end of its first deployment, which lasted over a month. The group set sail from Norfolk on Oct. 4.
During deployment, the group worked with U.S. allies and partners to train on air defense, anti-subsurface warfare, distributed maritime operations and transfer of authority with NATO. The deployment covered more than 9,200 miles.
The countries that participated with the U.S. were Canada, the Netherlands, Denmark, France, Germany, Spain, Finland and Sweden.
Vice Admiral Dan Dwyer, the commander of the U.S. 2nd Fleet and Joint Force Command in Norfolk, said in a news release that the deployment was a demonstration of the Navy's commitment to the Atlantic and strengthening relationships with allies.
"This deployment brought together an incredible group of Allies and partners with one single focus -- to contribute to a peaceful, stable, and conflict-free Atlantic region through our combined naval power," Dwyer wrote. "Opportunities to interoperate and integrate make our nations, our navies, and the NATO Alliance stronger."
The USS Gerald R. Ford's deployment came after the ship was commissioned in 2017. The ship faced several delays related to new technological systems onboard.