USS Gerald Ford aircraft carrier back at Crete naval base after huge fire at sea
USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier arrives at Souda Bay naval base
The USS Gerald R. Ford, the world’s largest aircraft carrier that has been part of Middle East war operations, has returned to a naval base in Crete.
The vessel, which took on food, fuel and ammunition at Souda Bay in February, reported a laundry fire on March 12 which injured two crew members.
The New York Times reported it took more than 30 hours to put out the fire, and that 600 crew members lost their bed.
The United States and Israel launched a massive air campaign against Iran in late February following a major US military buildup in the Middle East that included the Ford and another aircraft carrier, the Abraham Lincoln.
Both ships – which have air wings made up of dozens of aircraft – have played key roles in Iran operations, and the withdrawal of the Ford leaves a gap for US forces in the region.
The Ford has been at sea for nearly nine months – a deployment that has already seen it take part in US operations in the Caribbean, where Washington’s forces have carried out strikes on alleged drug-smuggling boats, interdicted sanctioned tankers and seized Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro.