America’s biggest warship, advanced fighters sent toward Iran in biggest military buildup yet
Daily News Article — Posted on February 19, 2026
(by Ronny Reyes, NY Post) – President Trump is sending the USS Gerald R. Ford, the world’s largest warship, to the Middle East, along with a huge fleet of aerial refueling tankers and F-22 and F-35 strike fighters, according to reports.
The massive buildup in military hardware is the biggest indication yet that Trump could be preparing for large-scale strikes against Iran if high-stakes negotiations over the Islamic Republic’s nuclear [weapons] program and brutal crackdown on protesters fail.
The nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Ford and its carrier strike group set sail in the Atlantic on Tuesday and is heading for the Strait of Gibraltar, the entrance to the Mediterranean Sea, USNI reported.
It would join the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group in the Middle East as a major show of force amid US negotiations with Iran over its nuclear [weapons] program.
The Ford — America’s most advanced aircraft carrier and the largest ever built — is designed to carry more than 75 aircraft, including F-35C Lightning II stealth fighters and F/A-18F Super Hornets, as well as EA-18G Growler radar-jamming jets.
The strike group is accompanied by three destroyers, the USS Bainbridge, the USS Mahan and the USS Winston Churchill.
The vessel had been operating in the Caribbean Sea since mid-November as part of the US naval force supporting Trump’s operations in the South American nation of Venezuela.
The Ford’s deployment comes as part of a new military build-up in the Middle East, with Trump refusing to leave an attack on Iran off the table as negotiations stall.
Along with the Lincoln carrier strike group, the US has four destroyers operating in the Arabian Sea, with another three patrolling in the Strait of Hormuz.
The USS Delbert Black destroyer is in the Red Sea, with two combat ships currently in the Persian Gulf.
The US has also moved more than 50 fighter jets to the Middle East on Tuesday as part of the military buildup, according to Axios.
The airfleet includes F-16 Falcons, F-22 Raptors and F-35 jets, according to independent flight trackers.
The latter jets have stealth capability that could allow them to strike Iran without being detected by the nation’s air defenses.
The jets would join other warplanes that have been moved in recent weeks, including attack fighters based in Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia.
The mass deployment would allow the US to conduct airstrikes deep within Iran while also providing defensive cover for US troops and allies in the Middle East, experts previously told The Post.
Iran has repeatedly warned of retaliatory strikes on US troops and allies should America attack, with Tehran shutting down the Strait of Hormuz earlier this week to conduct live missile drills.
Published at NY Post on Feb. 18, 2026. Reprinted here for educational purposes only. May not be reproduced on other websites without permission.
Questions
NOTE to students: Before answering the questions, read the “Background” and watch the video under “Resources.”
1. a) What makes the USS Gerald R. Ford so formidable?
b) What vessels/aircraft are accompanying the Ford to the Middle East?
2. What is a carrier strike group?
b) Which carrier strike group is already in the Middle East?
3. For what reason is the Ford going to join the Lincoln?
4. a) How many aircraft does the USS Gerald R. Ford carry?
b) Which specific aircraft are included in this number?
5. a) What is a destroyer?
b) Name the destroyers accompanying the USS Ford.
6. How many additional destroyers does the US. have in the area?
7. How many additional fighter jets has the US moved to the Middle East on Tuesday?
8. a) What capability do the F-35s have?
b) What will this mass deployment allow the US to do?
Background
What caused the U.S. military buildup?
The U.S. military surge in the Middle East began in late January 2026, triggered by the Iranian regime's brutal crackdown on widespread protests Iranian citizens that started over economic issues but evolved into anti-regime demonstrations.
- Reports indicate the Iranian government murdered up to 30,000 protesters in a short period, marking one of the deadliest suppressions in modern Iranian history.
- The US has characterized these actions as a "massacre," with President Trump warning of military intervention if the killings continued. He said in January that if Iran “violently kills peaceful protesters, which is their custom, the United States of America will come to their rescue. We are locked and loaded and ready to go.”
Additionally, the buildup coincides with Iran's ongoing nuclear advancements as they work to build nuclear weapons — despite setbacks from the 2025 US strikes, which delayed but did not eliminate the program — and its support for regional proxies like the Houthis in Yemen and Hezbollah in Lebanon, which have conducted attacks on US interests and allies.
The USS Gerald R. Ford:
- The Ford is the world's largest aircraft carrier and the largest warship ever built, commissioned by the U.S. Navy in 2017.
- Measuring over 1,000 feet long with a 256-foot wide flight deck, it accommodates over 75-90 aircraft, features advanced nuclear reactors, and uses electromagnetic catapults.
- As the lead ship of its class, it features the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS) and Advanced Arresting Gear (AAG), which allow for higher sortie generation rates compared to previous Nimitz-class carriers.
- It is powered by two A1B nuclear reactors, providing significantly more electrical power than older carriers, which supports future weapons systems.
- The Ford is a centerpiece of the U.S. Navy's power projection, frequently deployed for global maritime operations. (from Google AI Overview)