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2mo ago

USS Gerald R. Ford Reaches Split for Repairs After Laundry-Room Fire

The port call underscores strain from a long deployment that exposed basic habitability flaws.

The United States and Israel launched a massive air campaign against Iran in late February following a major US military buildup in the Middle East that included the Ford and another aircraft carrier, the Abraham Lincoln. Both ships -- which have air wings made up of dozens of aircraft -- have played key roles in Iran operations, and the withdrawal of the Ford leaves a gap for US forces in the region. The Ford has been at sea for nearly nine months -- a deployment that has already seen it take part in US operations in the Caribbean, where Washington's forces have carried out strikes on alleged drug-smuggling boats, interdicted sanctioned tankers and seized Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro. A fire broke out in a laundry room aboard the carrier on March 12, injuring two sailors and causing major damage to some 100 beds, according to the US military. The USS Gerald R. Ford, the world's largest aircraft carrier, departs from Souda Naval Base near Chania on the island of Crete, Greece, Thursday, Feb. 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Giannis Angelakis)
A ship carrying supplies to U.S. aircraft carrier "Gerald R. Ford" arrives as the aircraft carrier holds position in front of Split, in the Adriatic Sea, March 28, 2026. REUTERS/Antonio Bronic
U.S. aircraft carrier "Gerald R. Ford" holds position in front of Split, in the Adriatic Sea, March 28, 2026. REUTERS/Antonio Bronic
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Overview

  • The carrier, which anchored Saturday in the Croatian port of Split after a repair stop in Crete this week, will conduct maintenance pierside, according to U.S. officials.
  • A non-combat fire that started March 12 in the ship’s main laundry room injured three sailors, led to treatment for nearly 200 smoke exposures, and damaged about 100 berths, Navy statements and officials said.
  • The Navy says the ship remains fully mission-capable as crews and forward maintenance teams inspect affected spaces and an official investigation into the cause continues.
  • Months at sea have compounded chronic plumbing failures in the ship’s vacuum toilet system, which uses narrow pipes that clog easily, forcing extra maintenance and contributing to berthing shortages that left many sailors sleeping on decks or borrowed mattresses.
  • The stopover reduces U.S. carrier presence in the region for now, and comes as President Trump’s claim of an Iranian attack on the ship is disputed by Pentagon officials who say there was no missile or drone strike.