US carrier Ford heads to Crete for repairs after fire, leaving 600 sailors homeless on ship

The USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier is withdrawing from the Red Sea for emergency repairs at a US naval base on Crete after a fire swept through the vessel last week, temporarily sidelining one of America's most advanced warships amid the ongoing Iran war. The incident has left hundreds of sailors without sleeping quarters as damage control continues.

Fire forces withdrawal

A senior US official confirmed to US Naval Institute News that the carrier will head to Naval Support Activity Souda Bay for more than a week of repairs following the March 12 blaze. The fire originated in an aft laundry facility, triggering a major damage control response that disrupted operations throughout the vessel and displaced sailors across the carrier. According to reports, more than 600 service members lost their berthing spaces and have been bunking on floors and tables while repairs are organized.

Non-combat incident

US Central Command clarified on X that the fire was "not combat-related" and was contained to the ship's main laundry spaces. The clarification comes as the carrier had been operating in the Middle East as part of American force posture amid the US-Israeli offensive against Iran, which has killed approximately 1,300 people including former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei since Feb. 28.

Greek base hosts repairs

Greek daily Kathimerini reported that the aircraft carrier is expected to return to Crete next week, where it previously spent four days resupplying at Souda Bay last February before heading to the eastern Mediterranean. The repair stop highlights the strategic importance of US naval facilities on allied territory, particularly as regional tensions show no signs of abating with Iran continuing retaliatory strikes targeting American assets across the Gulf.