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ISLAMABAD: The USS Gerald R. Ford, the US Navy&rsquo;s newest and most expensive <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/us-aircraft-carrier-enters-mediterranean-as-trump-mulls-iran-strikes" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">aircraft carrier</a>, has pulled out of the Middle East and arrived at Souda Bay in Crete, Greece for repairs and resupply.&nbsp;The US Navy said on Monday that the carrier had arrived in Greece for &ldquo;maintenance and repairs&rdquo; after operating in the Red Sea and stressed that it remained &ldquo;fully mission capable.&rdquo;&nbsp;&nbsp;The immediate trigger for the move was on last week when fire that broke out in the ship&rsquo;s main laundry spaces.&nbsp;US Naval Forces Central Command said at the time that the blaze was not combat-related, had been contained, and had not damaged the ship&rsquo;s propulsion plant, adding that the carrier remained fully operational.&nbsp;However, Bloomberg reported on Tuesday that the Ford&rsquo;s problems &ldquo;run a lot deeper&rdquo; than the laundry-room fire, citing a Pentagon assessment that pointed to broader concerns surrounding the warship.&nbsp;Those included questions about key systems and the vessel&rsquo;s ability to sustain prolonged combat operations.&nbsp;Reports have pointed to mounting strain on both the ship and its crew during an unusually long deployment.&nbsp;The Wall Street Journal reported that the carrier&rsquo;s move to Greece was also linked to continuing sewage-system problems, while earlier coverage said the Ford had been nearing one of the longest carrier deployments in recent US Navy history.&nbsp;Business Insider reported that its departure left the USS Abraham Lincoln as the only US carrier in the region for now, even as the Navy insists the Ford&rsquo;s stop in Crete is for assessment, repairs and resupply rather than a full end to its deployment.&nbsp;Taken together, the development suggests that while the Navy is publicly projecting confidence, the Ford&rsquo;s move to Greece has become a focal point for wider concerns over reliability, endurance and operational stress aboard America&rsquo;s flagship carrier.

The world's largest aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford arrives at Souda Bay naval base after having been part of Middle East war operations, on the island of Crete on March 23, 2026. (Photo: AFP)

Middle East

Americas

USS Gerald R. Ford left the Middle East for repairs in Greece after a fire, but reports say deeper technical, sanitation and readiness concerns also contributed, raising questions about prolonged combat deployment.

US aircraft carrier Gerald R. Ford pulled from Middle East amid mounting problems

WASHINGTON: Two US Navy aircraft crashed into the South China Sea in separate incidents on Sunday, officials said, with no fatalities reported. The first crash involved an MH-60R Sea Hawk helicopter, which &quot;went down in the waters of the South China Sea while conducting routine operations from the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz,&quot; according to a statement from the US Navy&#39;s Pacific Fleet. All three crew members aboard the helicopter were recovered by search-and-rescue teams, the statement said. Crew safely recovered&nbsp;A half-hour later, according to the Navy, a Boeing F/A-18F Super Hornet fighter jet crashed into the South China Sea, also &quot;while conducting routine operations&quot; from the USS Nimitz. The Navy&#39;s statement said both crew members aboard ejected themselves from the vessel and were safely recovered. &quot;All personnel involved are safe and in stable condition,&quot; the US Navy said. &quot;The cause of both incidents is currently under investigation.&quot; Incidents in the Middle East&nbsp;The crashes come as US President Donald Trump is in the region, on his first visit to Asia of his second term, and as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth prepares to also begin a multi-country Asian tour. Earlier this year, two US warplanes fell off the US Navy&#39;s Harry S Truman aircraft carrier while operating in the Middle East.

Asia

According to the Navy, the first crash involved a MH-60R Sea Hawk helicopter; a Boeing F/A-18F Super Hornet fighter jet also crashed into the South China Sea; crew members aboard safely recovered.

Articles tagged with "US Navy"

US aircraft carrier Gerald R. Ford pulled from Middle East amid mounting problems

US Navy helicopter, jet crash into South China Sea