On March 23, 2026, the U.S. Navy announced that its newest aircraft carrier, USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) arrived in Souda base for maintenance after it suffered from fire.
U.S. Navy press release
The USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) arrived at Naval Support Activity Souda Bay, March 23, 2026, for maintenance and repairs after operating in the Red Sea. The aircraft carrier remains fully mission capable.
The port call allows for the ship to undergo efficient assessment, repairs, and resupply. Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group continues its overseas deployment.
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Naval News comments
Although the U.S. Navy says USS Gerald R. Ford remains fully mission capable, this stop at Souda Bay should be seen as more than a routine port call.
The carrier is already deep into an unusually long deployment that could approach 11 months, and it arrives after a serious onboard fire as well as long-running habitability and maintenance issues. For a warship, especially an aircraft carrier, even a fire in a support area is strategically important because shipboard fires can spread rapidly through confined spaces and cable runs. So the real significance of this visit is not loss of capability, but the Navy’s need to sustain capability under prolonged operational pressure.
