U.S. Navy Nuclear Aircraft Carrier USS Gerald R. Ford Might Be Out of Action for 14 Months

[BootinUp]

5. My understanding is that fires in that part of the ship are not unheard of

NAPLES, Italy — A potent mixture of flammable materials, equipment pushed beyond its limits and human error could be behind a fire last week aboard the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford, according to a shipping expert. “It’s just a smorgasbord of danger all put together,” said Sal Mercogliano, an adjunct professor at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy. The Ford, along with nearly 4,500 personnel, is operating in the Red Sea in support of Operation Epic Fury, the ongoing joint American and Israeli military campaign against Iran. The carrier left Norfolk, Va., in late June for a then-routine deployment to Europe that unexpectedly included duty in the Caribbean Sea and the Middle East. That extended time at sea also could have been a factor in the March 12 fire in the main laundry areas, Mercogliano said. “Equipment that normally would be serviced and taken down may be running at levels past when they need to run,” Mercogliano said. “Anytime you go past normal operating hours, the chances of mechanical and human error increase.”

Read more at: https://www.stripes.com/branches/navy/2026-03-18/fire-ford-red-sea-iran-sailors-21107086.html
Source - Stars and Stripes