The USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group has been deployed to the Caribbean amid escalating tensions with Venezuela, where President Nicolás Maduro has mobilized military forces in response to U.S. pressure, including plans to designate the ‘Cartel de los Soles’ as a terrorist organization. This significant U.S. military buildup illustrates advanced power projection capabilities, emphasizing the strategic importance of integrated, nuclear-powered strike groups in modern geopolitics. For India, this development underscores the necessity to enhance its own maritime security, particularly with the ongoing plans for a third aircraft carrier, to ensure readiness for sustained multi-domain operations in the Indian Ocean Region and to reinforce deterrence against regional adversaries.