The United States is set to pull back the USS Gerald R. Ford from the Middle East after being deployed for 10 months, according to a report.
The Washington Post cited multiple US officials on Wednesday, confirming that the aircraft carrier will begin its homebound voyage in the coming days.
It wasn't immediately clear when the aircraft carrier would begin sailing back home, but the report cited one official saying the carrier is expected to be home in the state of Virginia around mid-May.
The USS Gerald R. Ford is one of three aircraft carriers in the region, along with USS George H.W. Bush and the USS Abraham Lincoln.
The Ford, which carries around 4,500 sailors, is in the Red Sea and is not partaking in the US blockade of Iranian ports.
The aircraft carrier will reportedly require extensive maintenance upon returning home due to repeated issues and damage to the laundry room.
Congressional hearing
According to the report, multiple lawmakers raised the issue of the aircraft carrier during a hearing with Pentagon Chief Pete Hegseth.
One lawmaker, Representative Gil Cisneros, questioned Hegseth about the trade-offs they are making in extending the Ford deployment.
Hegseth said a "tough decision-making process" led to the extension, adding that the move came in consultation with the US Navy.
The aircraft carrier has been deployed for 309 days, the longest for any modern US carrier.
The Ford was deployed on June 24 of last year, departing the Naval Station Norfolk to Europe, before it was sent to the Caribbean and later the Red Sea in the Middle East.
