U.S. Navy Flattop Set To Return To Naval Station Norfolk On Saturday

BusinessAerospace & DefenseU.S. Navy Flattop Set To Return To Naval Station Norfolk On SaturdayByPeter Suciu,Contributor.Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Peter Suciu covers trends in the world of aerospace and defense.Follow AuthorJun 04, 2026, 04:19pm EDTThe amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima sits pier side in St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands, Dec. 11, 2025. The warship is expected to arrive at Naval Station Norfolk on Saturday (U.S. Navy via AP)Associated PressThe Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima (LHD-7) departed from Naval Station Norfolk, Va., on August 14, 2025. Her 10-month-long deployment is set to end on Saturday. It comes three weeks after the nuclear-powered supercarrier USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) also arrived in Norfolk, ending her record-long deployment.The flagship of the Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group, which also consisted of the San Antonio-class amphibious transport docks USS San Antonio (LPD-17) and USS Fort Lauderdale (LPD-28), was among the first warships to be deployed to support Operation Southern Spear, the Pentagon’s campaign aimed at countering narco-terrorism in the eastern Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea.The deployment was originally slated to last six months, but was extended after the U.S. Navy redirected other assets – notably CVN-78 and her strike group – to the Middle East as part of the buildup of U.S. military forces in advance of Operation Epic Fury, the bombing campaign against Iran that began on February 28, 2026.LPD-17 had returned to Norfolk in April. Marines And Sailors Already Returning HomeOn Monday, United States Marines and sailors from the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable) began to return home in waves, the U.S. Navy confirmed. The unit was embarked with the ARG, with both expecting to be deployed to the U.S. 5th and 6th Fleets area of responsibility last August.MORE FOR YOUInstead, over the 10-month deployment, the 22nd MEU conducted f...