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View all search resultsUSS Gerald Ford arrives in Croatia for maintenance
The Ford, America's newest and the world's largest carrier, was operating in the Red Sea in support of Operation Epic Fury when a non-combat fire broke out in its main laundry room on March 12, injuring three sailors.
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Harbour tugboats and other civilian vessels approach the US Navy aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford at an anchor point off the Croatian coastal city of Split on March 28, 2026, for a scheduled port visit and maintenance stop following involvement Middle East war operations. (AFP/Elvis Barukcic)
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he US aircraft carrier Gerald R. Ford, which had been deployed in US-Israeli operations against Iran, anchored in Croatia's Adriatic port of Split on Saturday for repairs and maintenance.
The Ford, America's newest and the world's largest carrier, was operating in the Red Sea in support of Operation Epic Fury when a non-combat fire broke out in its main laundry room on March 12, injuring three sailors.
Nearly 200 sailors were also treated for smoke-related issues, a US official said at the time. The fire took hours to bring under control and had an impact on roughly 100 sleeping berths.
The warship has been deployed for nine months and also took part in operations against Venezuela in the Caribbean prior to arriving in the Middle East.
It has been plagued by plumbing problems during its deployment, affecting the nearly 650 toilets.
The Ford had temporarily stopped at Souda Bay on the Greek island of Crete. The government of Croatia, which is a NATO-ally of the US, approved its arrival earlier this week.
"During its visit, the USS Gerald R. Ford will host local officials and key leaders to reaffirm the strong and enduring alliance between the United States and Croatia," the US. embassy to Croatia said in a statement.
The carrier, staffed by more than 5,000 sailors, has more than 75 military aircraft aboard, including fighter aircraft like the F-18 Super Hornet, and boasts a sophisticated radar system for air traffic control and navigation.
The withdrawal of the Ford would leave a significant gap in US forces in the region, where the dozens of warplanes it carries have taken part in more than two weeks of strikes against Iran.
But the New York Times quoted a military official as saying the Ford will probably be relieved by another carrier -- the USS George H.W. Bush -- which is preparing to deploy to the Middle East.
The ship is the first Ford-class carrier -- a new design that will gradually replace older Nimitz-class ships -- and was commissioned by President Donald Trump in 2017. The $13-billion vessel embarked on its first deployment five years later in 2022.
The carrier -- powered by two nuclear reactors -- displaces 100,000 long tons when fully loaded, is more than 1,100 feet (335 meters) long and can sail at more than 34 miles (55 kilometers) per hour.
