In recent hours, military sources revealed that the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) of the United States Navy (US Navy) will soon leave the Red Sea in order to set course for Greece to undergo repairs, after suffering a major fire days ago. The nuclear-powered lead ship of its class will depart for Souda Bay, where it will undergo the necessary repairs over the course of one week, temporarily remaining out of operations as part of Operation Epic Fury against Iran
On March 12, the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford suffered a fire in one of the laundry rooms located in the aft section, an incident that left two sailors affected and led to the relocation of personnel throughout the carrier. Likewise, the incident reportedly caused the temporary interruption of various activities on board, mainly as a result of smoke inhalation and the damage caused in the affected area. U.S. authorities stressed that the event was not linked to combat actions and that the fire was contained without spreading beyond the laundry compartment.
Although days later spokespeople from the Fifth Fleet indicated that the ship continued operating normally in support of U.S. Central Command (USCENTCOM), the decision to temporarily withdraw it from the theater of operations for repairs highlights the impact the incident had on its operational availability, at least in the short term.
The USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group arrived in the Area of Responsibility of U.S. Central Command (USCENTCOM) around February 27 after having carried out missions almost uninterruptedly since November 2025, among which those conducted in the Caribbean during Operation Southern Spear stood out. Washington’s objective, prior to the start of Operation Epic Fury, was to exert pressure on Iran and its nuclear program.
Before reaching its final destination, the ship made a stop in Souda Bay, the same place where it will undergo repairs in the coming weeks and which serves as a regular logistical point for U.S. units transiting toward the Middle East. At the time, it was mentioned that the visit to that base would have responded to support needs. Finally, it arrived in the Eastern Mediterranean during the days leading up to the start of the attacks against Iran, events that took place on February 28 with the beginning of the operation.
This movement also comes in a context marked by the carrier’s prolonged deployment, which has accumulated more than 260 days of continuous operations. This extended period has not only increased the strain on the ship’s systems, but also on its crew, in a scenario that has proven to be highly operationally intense.
In that regard, various analyses have warned that the length of the deployment could approach historical marks within the U.S. Navy, such as the record of 294 days of continuous deployment, which adds another variable when evaluating the need for rotation or replacement of units in the region. In addition to that, the extended number of days translates into a longer stay at the facilities that carry out the ship’s maintenance in the United States once its deployment is over.
Beyond this temporary departure, the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford is part of a broader framework of U.S. naval presence in the Middle East, where the USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) Carrier Strike Group is also operating, together with other escort units, ensuring the continuity of operations while CVN-78 remains out of service for repairs.
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