The USS Spruance and USS Michael Murphy were initially assigned to a routine western Pacific deployment before being redirected to the Middle East for Operation Epic Fury. Their near year-long missions far exceed the Navy's traditional six- to seven-month deployment cycle. With a fleet of just over 280 battle-force ships, naval leaders struggle to rotate vessels to meet expanding global commitments. This extended time at sea has also forced the Navy to postpone critical post-mission maintenance for the Spruance until January 2027.
Key points
Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Daryl Caudle warned that 10- to 11-month deployments co…: Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Daryl Caudle warned that 10- to 11-month deployments could become more common due to fleet size limitations.
The Navy faces significant strain trying to rotate approximately 78 destroyers across mul…: The Navy faces significant strain trying to rotate approximately 78 destroyers across multiple simultaneous global operational commitments.
Prolonged time at sea is expanding the fleet maintenance backlog and pushing shipyard wor…: Prolonged time at sea is expanding the fleet maintenance backlog and pushing shipyard work for returning ships months past initial schedules.
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More than 80 years after World War II, a US Navy destroyer has matched a wartime-era deployment milestone, spending nearly an entire year away from home.
The USS Spruance has returned after 357 days at sea, marking what is being reported as the longest deployment by an American destroyer since the Second World War. Its return, alongside another destroyer that spent 346 days deployed, offers a glimpse into the extraordinary demands the Iran war has placed on the US Navy.
According to The War Zone (TWZ), the two Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers assigned to the USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group returned to their homeports after spending 357 and 346 days at sea, respectively.
The USS Spruance arrived at Naval Base San Diego on November 13, while the USS Michael Murphy returned to Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam in Hawaii a day earlier.
Both destroyers had initially set out for what was expected to be a routine deployment in the western Pacific. However, the escalation of the US-Iran conflict in February 2026 changed their mission.
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