SPLIT, Croatia: The 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.
