Al Mayadeen English

Ar

Es

Slogan

News

Politics

Economy

Sports

Arts&Culture

Health

Miscellaneous

Technology

Environment

Articles

Opinion

Analysis

Blog

Features

Videos

NewsFeed

Video Features

Explainers

TV

Digital Series

Infographs

In Pictures

• LIVE

News

Politics

Economy

Sports

Arts&Culture

Health

Miscellaneous

Technology

Environment

Articles

Opinion

Analysis

Blog

Features

Videos

NewsFeed

Video Features

Explainers

TV

Digital Series

Infographs

In Pictures

Africa

Asia

Asia-Pacific

Europe

Latin America

MENA

Palestine

US & Canada

BREAKING

IRGC: If an attack should take place against our power stations, we will respond in kind against stations providing US bases with power, Israeli stations.

Israeli media platform: The recent Iranian launches were aimed at areas where the Israeli army is concentrated in the north

Israeli platform: Joint launches from Iran toward the Golan and from Hezbollah toward Nahariya, causing sirens to sound across a vast area

Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters: Since the early days of the Revolution’s victory, the name of Palestine has remained a banner of a right that will never fall

Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters: The Islamic Ummah and the Palestinian people have always been alive in the conscience of the Iranian people

Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters: We address you from the Islamic Republic of Iran with a sincere word from the heart—a message of loyalty, love, and brotherhood

The spokesperson for the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters addresses a message to 'our Muslim brothers in the region and to our loved ones in the land of Palestine, especially Gaza'

Israeli media: Four soldiers were injured in an “operational incident” caused by an explosion in South Lebanon

Prosecutor of Natanz: Rumors about evacuating the city have been officially denied

Popular Mobilization Forces in Iraq: US-Israeli attack targeted the medical unit of the Al-Jazeera Operations Command in Jurf al-Nasr with four airstrikes

USS Ford carrier fire may sideline US Navy flagship for 14 months

By
Al Mayadeen English

Source: 19fortyfive

22 Mar 2026 08:30

1 Shares

4 Min Read

The USS Gerald R. Ford could be sidelined for up to 14 months after a March 12 onboard fire compounded existing maintenance issues from a prolonged, high-intensity deployment.

Listen

The aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) successfully completes the third and final scheduled explosive event of Full Ship Shock Trials while underway in the Atlantic Ocean, Aug. 8, 2021. (US Navy)

Writing for the 19FortyFive news outlet on Sunday, defense analyst Jack Buckby warned that the USS Gerald R. Ford could face an extended period out of service following a March 12 fire and the cumulative strain of a prolonged deployment.

The first-in-class Ford carrier has been withdrawn from active operations and is currently stationed at Souda Bay in Crete, after months of sustained combat activity in the Red Sea and surrounding region. The vessel had spent roughly nine months at sea, supporting intensive US operations, including thousands of strikes linked to the conflict with Iran.

The immediate cause of its withdrawal was, according to the US, a fire that broke out in the ship’s main laundry area.

The incident damaged adjacent compartments, including living quarters, displacing around 100 berths, while other reports suggest the destruction of hundreds of sleeping spaces. Nearly 200 sailors were treated for smoke exposure, with at least one requiring evacuation. While propulsion systems remained unaffected, the scale of the damage prompted a broader reassessment of the ship’s overall condition.

According to Buckby, however, the fire itself is only part of the issue. The carrier had already accumulated what he described as a significant backlog of deferred maintenance, the result of operating for an extended period under high-intensity conditions without the opportunity for full servicing.

This so-called “maintenance debt” includes ongoing concerns with key onboard systems, particularly the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS) and Advanced Arresting Gear (AAG). These technologies, central to the Ford-class design, are intended to improve efficiency and sortie generation but have presented reliability challenges since the ship entered service.

Strained supercarrier deployment

Commissioned in 2017, the USS Gerald R. Ford is designed to replace the Nimitz-class and represented a major shift in US naval aviation.

The ship’s recent deployment is considered among the most demanding in modern US Navy operations. In addition to extended time at sea, the carrier operated under sustained operational pressure, integrating with other US air assets in a high-threat environment. The prolonged tempo has accelerated wear across both mechanical systems and crew capacity, with reports pointing to deteriorating onboard conditions, including earlier system failures and strain on basic infrastructure.

US officials have indicated that the stop in Crete is intended not only for repairs but also to provide relief for the crew, who have endured months of continuous deployment under increasingly difficult conditions.

Amid these developments, Iran’s Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters issued a statement on March 13 claiming that the fire aboard the carrier had been deliberately set by US personnel. The statement said that the incident reflected fear and pressure among the crew during the ongoing confrontation.

Prolonged carrier downtime

Under standard conditions, post-deployment maintenance for a nuclear-powered carrier can already take several months. In this case, the combination of fire damage, deferred repairs, and the technical demands of a first-in-class platform could significantly extend that timeline.

Buckby suggests that a repair period lasting between 12 and 14 months is a plausible outcome, even though no official estimate has been confirmed. Historical precedents show that major overhauls on complex carriers can extend well beyond a year depending on the scope of required work.

Any prolonged absence of the Ford would come at a time when carrier availability is already under strain within the United States Navy. As the lead vessel of a new class, its performance and readiness also carry broader implications for confidence in future deployments of similar platforms.

United States

US aircraft carrier

war on Iran

USS Gerald R. Ford

US Navy

US-Israeli aggression on Iran

Most Read

Senior Iranian official outlines conditions for ending war: Exclusive

West Asia

22 Mar 2026

Op. True Promise 4 Wave 74 comes as war shifts in Iran's favor

Politics

22 Mar 2026

IRGC launches wave 61 of True Promise 4 to avenge Larijani

Politics

18 Mar 2026

Wave 64, OTP 4: IRGC strikes Ben Gurion airport, Haifa refineries

Politics

19 Mar 2026

Read Next

All

Politics

Trump backs down on Iran strikes; Tehran denies any talks

Politics

Iraq accelerates withdrawal of US-led coalition forces

Economy

Iran strikes cost Big Oil billions as Gulf energy sites hit

Politics

Dubai’s global image is facing growing scrutiny with war on Iran

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

Privacy Policy

About Us

Contact Us

Authors

✖
Accept Using Cookies More Info cookie script