DECEMBER 1, 2025 – The first-in-class aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78), currently deployed in the U.S. Southern Command area of responsibility, arrived in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, for a scheduled port visit, Dec. 1, 2025.
Gerald R. Ford’s visit to St. Thomas is the first port visit since entering U.S. Southern Command in support of Operation Southern Spear, operating under U.S. Fourth Fleet.
“The Sailors in our carrier strike group team have been extremely adaptable, taking our U.S. Southern Command tasking as priority number one and each doing their part to support the defense of our Homeland,” said Rear Adm. Paul Lanzilotta, commander of Carrier Strike Group Twelve. “Our port visit in St. Thomas gives us the rest and recuperation we need to continue the mission of upholding law and order across the Western Hemisphere in support of the President’s priorities.”
The Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group transited the Anegada Passage and entered the Caribbean Sea, Nov. 16, 2025. As part of Joint Task Force Southern Spear, the carrier strike group and additional joint forces, like the Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group, defeat and dismantle criminal networks that exploit our shared borders and maritime domains.
After departing on deployment from Naval Station Norfolk, June 24, 2025, the carrier strike group conducted multi-domain strike group operations in the Atlantic Ocean before transiting east into the U.S. Sixth Fleet area of operations, sailing above the Arctic Circle and throughout the Mediterranean Sea with multiple Allies and partners, participating in NATO’s Neptune Strike 25-2 and 25-3 enhanced vigilance activities, and conducting port calls in Croatia, France, Germany, Norway, and Spain. The force arrived in the SOUTHCOM area of responsibility after a westbound transit through the Strait of Gibraltar, Nov. 4, and a transoceanic voyage.
U.S. military forces are deployed to the Caribbean in support of the U.S. Southern Command mission, Department of War-directed operations, and the President’s priorities to disrupt illicit drug trafficking and protect the Homeland.
Operation Southern Spear is a Department of War mission to enhance security and stability across the Western Hemisphere by detecting, disrupting, and degrading transnational criminal and illicit maritime networks. This operation enhances maritime domain awareness, supports regional stability, and helps prevent illicit activity from reaching the U.S. Homeland. These efforts reflect the Department’s commitment to maintaining a safe, stable, and secure hemisphere.
Courtesy Story
Carrier Strike Group 12