WASHINGTON — April 18, 2026 : The USS Gerald R. Ford has reentered the Red Sea escorted by two U.S. Navy destroyers following more than a month of maintenance and repairs at Naval Support Activity Souda Bay, according to U.S. defense officials cited by the Associated Press. The move marks the carrier’s return to active operations in the Middle East.
Fire Incident and Repair Period
A fire broke out in the carrier’s main laundry room on March 12, 2026, while the ship was operating in the Red Sea. The non-combat incident burned for more than 30 hours before being extinguished. The fire damaged hundreds of berthing spaces and adjacent compartments, displacing more than 600 sailors. Two sailors sustained non-life-threatening injuries, and additional crew members experienced smoke inhalation. The ship’s propulsion plant was not affected, and the vessel remained operational.
The carrier arrived at Souda Bay in Crete on March 23, 2026, where it remained for over a month to complete structural repairs. During this period, the ship also conducted a port call in Split, Croatia. It departed Croatia on April 2, 2026, resuming operations in the Eastern Mediterranean before transiting back toward the Red Sea.
Deployment Timeline and Record Duration
The USS Gerald R. Ford departed Naval Station Norfolk on June 24, 2025, initially assigned to European operations. The deployment was later redirected to the Caribbean in support of activities linked to Venezuela before being reassigned to the Middle East.
The carrier reached 296 days at sea on April 15, 2026, setting a record for the longest U.S. aircraft carrier deployment in a combat zone since the Vietnam War. The deployment has included operations under both U.S. Southern Command in the Caribbean and U.S. Central Command in the Middle East.
Operational Context
The USS Gerald R. Ford is the lead ship of the Ford-class and the largest aircraft carrier in the U.S. Navy. Its Carrier Strike Group includes Carrier Air Wing 8. The carrier’s return to the Red Sea places it again within the operational area of U.S. Central Command, where it had previously conducted missions as part of Operation Epic Fury.
A second U.S. carrier, the USS George H.W. Bush, is also en route to the region.
Additional Operational Details
The extended deployment has involved multi-theater operations and has placed sustained demands on both personnel and ship systems. In addition to the March 12 fire, the carrier experienced maintenance issues earlier in the deployment, including a malfunction in the ship’s sewage system that temporarily affected approximately 650 toilets.
Officials have not disclosed the identities of the two destroyers escorting the carrier into the Red Sea or provided updated timelines for the conclusion of the deployment.
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