USS Gerald R. Ford carrier strike group ready for U.S. military operations in Caribbean Sea.

The U.S. Navy has released the first official images of the USS Gerald R. Ford carrier strike group maneuvering in the North Atlantic as it enters U.S. Southern Command’s area of responsibility, while U.S. Air Force B-52 bombers continue high-profile flights over the Caribbean. Together, the twin shows of force deepen pressure on Venezuela’s Maduro government at a moment when the White House is weighing new operational options that range from additional strikes on “narco-terrorist” targets to limited ground intervention.

On 13 November 2025, the U.S. Navy quietly posted a new set of photos: the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) plowing through heavy North Atlantic seas, flanked by her escorts, as the formation crosses into U.S. Southern Command’s vast area of responsibility that spans Latin America and the Caribbean. The release comes as President Donald Trump’s national security team presents fresh options for Venezuela, according to administration and congressional sources, including expanded strikes on drug trafficking networks tied to elements of the Maduro regime and contingency planning for limited ground operations. 
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The U.S. Navy’s Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group, with its escorts, embarked F/A-18E/F Super Hornets from Strike Fighter Squadrons 31, 37, 87, and 213, operates alongside a U.S. Air Force B-52 Stratofortress as a joint multi-domain force on 13 November 2025. (Picture source: US DoD)

Following the announcement of Operation SOUTHERN SPEAR by Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, the photos show the carrier in close formation with its three Arleigh Burke-class destroyers and a B-52H Stratofortress heavy bomber operating in the same airspace. The combined presence of this CSG, fighter aircraft, special forces, and advanced ISR assets in the region creates a coherent posture consistent with preparations for a range of operational options that can be activated quickly depending on the White House’s final decisions. For Washington, this configuration reflects the practical implementation of a presidential order to defend the homeland, secure the Western Hemisphere, and strike transnational criminal organisations.

At the centre of the formation, USS Gerald R. Ford is the core element of a modernised power projection architecture. With her two A1B nuclear reactors, the ship displaces nearly 100,000 tons and provides an energy margin that allows the integration of advanced sensors, encrypted data links, and new generation weapons systems. The Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS) and Advanced Arresting Gear (AAG) smooth catapult and recovery cycles, reduce airframe wear, and extend the range of aircraft the flight deck can handle. The US Navy indicates that the Ford class aims for an increased potential number of daily sorties compared with the Nimitz class, a decisive parameter for sustained operations over the Caribbean Sea or along the Venezuelan coast.

The destroyers USS Mahan (DDG 72), USS Winston S. Churchill (DDG 81), and USS Bainbridge (DDG 96) frame the carrier while providing a protective and offensive bubble. Their Aegis Combat System, built around the AN/SPY 1D multifunction radar, fuses surface, subsurface, and air data to produce a coherent tactical picture. The 90 to 96 Mk 41 vertical launch system cells carry a mixed load of Standard surface-to-air missiles, long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles, and antisubmarine weapons, backed by a 127 mm Mk 45 gun. This configuration gives the CSG the ability to impose an air exclusion zone, engage hardened coastal targets, or neutralise hostile naval platforms, which takes on added weight as the prospect of increased military pressure on Venezuela becomes more concrete.

Carrier Air Wing Eight (CVW 8), with F/A 18E/F Super Hornets from Strike Fighter Squadrons 31, 37, 87, and 213, forms the mobile offensive layer of the force. The Super Hornet offers a combat radius of around 700 kilometres in attack configuration, a payload of more than eight tonnes, and a primary sensor, the AN/APG 79 active electronically scanned array radar, capable of tracking several targets simultaneously at long range. Flights launched from the carrier conduct surveillance of sea lanes, provide close cover for the Aegis destroyers, and deliver direct support to joint forces operating ashore if Washington were to authorise more intrusive intervention options. The Link 16 tactical data link (Link 16) connects the group to SOUTHCOM’s command structure, sustaining a shared maritime and air picture.

The presence of a B-52H Stratofortress above the formation reinforces the strategic message of these first images. Able to carry about 32 tonnes of munitions and operate at long range thanks to an extended radius with aerial refuelling, the bomber can deliver salvos of cruise missiles against clandestine depots, military infrastructure, or logistical centres linked to narcotics trafficking. Its cruising altitude, approaching 50,000 feet, and high subsonic speed enable optimised endurance for persistent surveillance and long-range strike. In a scenario related to Venezuela, a B-52H working in coordination with the CSG could neutralise runways and strategic facilities while remaining outside the engagement envelope of most of the country’s surface-to-air defences.

At the tactical and operational level, the integration of heavy naval assets, carrier-based fighters, special forces, and a strategic bomber gives SOUTHCOM a broad range of options for calibrating military pressure. Emission control (EMCON) postures are adjusted to limit the group’s electromagnetic signature while maintaining a recognised maritime picture (RMP) and a common operational picture (COP) shared through Link 16 and other secure networks. The combination of air patrols, Aegis-equipped destroyers, and long-range strike platforms creates a continuum of action that can run from simple interception of go fast boats to coordinated strikes against the infrastructure of a hostile state.

These first images of Gerald R. Ford under SOUTHCOM control, released while the White House is considering options on Venezuela, underline that the Western Hemisphere is once again an area of direct strategic competition. The arrival of the CSG, combined with a heavy bomber and a clear joint posture, signals a US intention to reshape the regional balance of power, constrain cartel activities, and limit outside influence in the Caribbean and northern South America.