Much like the CVWs that embark on them, the US Navy's aircraft carrier fleet is also going through a transitional change. This process marked a key milestone at the end of 2022, with the maiden deployment of the first-in-class USS Gerald R Ford (CVN-78) to Europe, which - with CVW-8 embarked-completed the first stage of a two-phase event on November 26. Having departed Naval Station Norfolk on October 4, the carrier and its strike group focused largely on air defense, anti-submarine warfare and distributed maritime operations, while working alongside European allies and conducting a transfer of authority with NATO. Following a brief pause, the vessel is set to return to sea for a further four to five months in the near future.
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