NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) – The Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group has completed their composite training unit exercise.

The strike group completed the COMPTUEX Sunday, which is a certification exercise conducted during the integrated phase of the Optimized Response Plan. This was the first COMPTUEX assessment with a Ford-class nuclear powered aircraft carrier.

ATLANTIC OCEAN (March 22, 2023) Ensign Sidney Bailey assigned to Arleigh Burke-Class guided missile destroyer USS McFaul (DDG 74), uses a sextant to calculate distance during a replenishment-at-sea March 22, 2023. McFaul, as part of the Ford Carrier Strike Group, is underway in the Atlantic Ocean completing its Composite Training Units Exercise (COMPTUEX), an intense, multi-week exercise designed to fully integrate a carrier strike group as a cohesive, multi-mission fighting force and to test their ability
ATLANTIC OCEAN (March 22, 2023) Sailors, assigned to Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer USS McFaul (DDG 74), conducts a replenishment-at-sea with Henry J. Kaiser-class fleet replenishment oiler Joshua Humphreys (T-AO-188), March 22, 2023. McFaul, as part of the Ford Carrier Strike Group, is underway in the Atlantic Ocean completing its Composite Training Units Exercise (COMPTUEX), an intense, multi-week exercise designed to fully integrate a carrier strike group as a cohesive, multi-mission fight
ATLANTIC OCEAN (March 30, 2023) Arleigh Burke-Class guided missile destroyer USS McFaul (DDG 74), fires its MK 45 -5-inch 54 Caliber Gun at an unmanned surface vehicle during an integrated live-fire event, March 30, 2023. McFaul, as part of the Ford Carrier Strike Group, is underway in the Atlantic Ocean completing its Composite Training Units Exercise (COMPTUEX), an intense, multi-week exercise designed to fully integrate a carrier strike group as a cohesive, multi-mission fighting force and to test their
Sailors, assigned to the first-in-class aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford’s (CVN 78) crash and salvage division, observe flight operations as an E/A-18G Growler, attached to the “Gray Wolves” of Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 142, takes off from the flight deck, March 29, 2023. Ford is underway in the Atlantic Ocean executing its Composite Training Unit Exercise (COMPTUEX), an intense, multi-week exercise designed to fully integrate a carrier strike group as a cohesive, multi-mission fighting force and

According to a press release, COMPTUEX is designed to test the strike group’s ability to carry out sustained combat operations from sea.

The exercise takes several weeks to complete and during the exercise, units are tested on their proficiency and readiness though scenario-based and live trainings.