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World's Largest Carrier Calls at Marseille, Boosting French Economy

Marseille
USS Gerald R. Ford arrives in Marseille, August 2025 (USN)

Published Aug 7, 2025 10:53 PM by The Maritime Executive

 

The nuclear-powered USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78), the largest aircraft carrier in the world, arrived in Marseille for a port visit on August 4, accompanied by Arleigh Burke Class guided missile destroyer USS Winston S. Churchill (DDG-81). Both vessels are scheduled to be in port for five days, leaving on August 9.

Both vessels have recently taken part in Exercise Neptune Strike 25-2, alongside NATO ships from Croatia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, Romania, Spain, Slovakia and the United Kingdom.

From the Sixth Fleet, Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyers USS Bainbridge (DDG 96), USS Mahan (DDG 72), and USS Winston S. Churchill (DDG 81) took part in the exercise.

As well as ships from other NATO nations, the Spanish Expeditionary Combat Group fielded the Santa Maria Class frigate ESPS Canarias (F86), helicopter carrier ESPS Juan Carlos I (LHD-7), Álvaro de Bazán Class frigate ESPS Blas de Lezo, amphibious ship ESPS Galicia (L51) and replenishment oiler ESPS Cantabria (A15). At this point, if the Russian Kilo Class submarine RFS Novorossiksk (B261) or Project 864 intelligence collector Viktor Leonov were monitoring the exercise, they may have been tempted to give up counting the number of NATO ships involved. A feature of the exercise were long-range strikes carried out from the central Mediterranean on training ranges in Croatia, Slovakia and Romania.

The port call at Marseille by the USS Gerald R. Ford and USS Winston S. Churchill will see over 5,000 US sailors and aviators ashore during the five days of the visit, both in Marseille and Monaco along the French Riviera and on excursions as far away as Paris. The economic benefit will therefore be spread across France, with private expenditures in the millions (in addition to US Navy expenditures). Marseille missed out on a first visit from USS Gerald R. Ford in 2023 when it was diverted to the Gulf instead, but enjoyed a visit from USS Harry S Truman (CVN-75) in 2024.