Diyar Guldogan
24 March 2026•Update: 24 March 2026
WASHINGTON
The USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier arrived at a port on a Greek island after leaving Middle East operations against Iran due to a laundry-area fire, but the vessel faces broader underlying problems, Bloomberg reported Tuesday.
The aircraft carrier arrived Monday at Crete’s Naval Support Activity Souda Bay for "maintenance and repairs following operations in the Red Sea," the US Navy said Monday.
Earlier this month, a fire broke out aboard the carrier in its main laundry area, prompting a large damage control response.
US officials said the blaze was not combat-related and was contained, but reports said more than 600 sailors were displaced from their sleeping quarters.
Bloomberg reported that the concerns around the aircraft carrier range from the potentially grave to the mundane, according to a new assessment from the Pentagon testing office, with many issues surfacing after it started combat testing in October 2022.
The report cited concerns as there is not enough current test data to assess the carrier's “operational suitability,” or the reliability of several key systems, including its jet launch and recovery system, its radar, its ability to keep operating if hit by enemy fire, and its elevators for moving weapons and munitions for warplanes from the hold to the flight deck.
A recent Pentagon testing assessment found that, nearly a decade after delivery, there is still insufficient data to determine the ship’s “operational effectiveness” under realistic combat conditions.
Key systems, including its advanced aircraft launch and recovery technology, radar and weapons elevators, remain under scrutiny, with questions about their reliability during sustained wartime use.
The aircraft carrier's extended deployment has added to the strain. Originally deployed in June 2025, the carrier has spent roughly nine months at sea, significantly longer than the typical seven-month deployment, with operations spanning from the Caribbean, including missions related to Venezuela, to the Middle East.
Regional escalation has continued since the US and Israel launched a joint offensive on Iran on Feb. 28. Iranian authorities say over 1,300 people have been killed since the war began, along with senior leaders, including then-Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and senior official Ali Larijani.
Tehran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, along with Jordan, Iraq, and Gulf countries hosting US military assets, causing casualties and damage to infrastructure while disrupting global markets and aviation.
