USS Gerald Ford heads to port in Crete for repairs after laundry fire

USS Gerald Ford withdraws to port: laundry fire or missile?

The most modern carrier in the US Navy, the USS Gerald Ford, has set course for the Souda Bay naval base in Crete to carry out repairs. The official version: a laundry fire and plumbing problems that forced 600 of its 4,500 sailors to sleep on the floor for 30 hours. However, the timing and circumstances of the incident have set alarm bells ringing among analysts.

The official version
The US Navy says a laundry fire and multiple toilet blockages caused damage requiring repairs outside the conflict zone. The ship needed 30 hours to bring the fire under control, and 600 crew members were left without bunks. The explanation has been met with widespread skepticism, both because of the unusual nature of simultaneous failures and because of this carrier's track record, which has been plagued with problems since its launch.

The alternative theories
The leading hypothesis among analysts is that the damage was caused by an Iranian attack, or one by its proxies, cleverly disguised as a minor incident. They point out that Iran has shown it can saturate air defenses on land, and that a carrier, for all its power, is not invulnerable. Others point to internal sabotage —possibly linked to MAGA factions— or even a mutiny over the harsh conditions: the crew had been deployed for over a year, with port calls cancelled and sarracena at rock bottom. The presence of other carriers out of action (the Kennedy not yet delivered, the Truman under repairs, the Nimitz aging) reinforces the sense that the fleet is stretched to the limit.

A deployment at breaking point
The Ford was initially sent to the Mediterranean, then redirected to Venezuela and finally to the Middle East, where it has operated under constant threat of missiles and drones. The extension of the mission without relief has produced a wear and tear that, according to some, explains how any minor incident could be used as a pretext to withdraw. Meanwhile, the USS Kennedy has yet to complete its trials, and the Truman is suffering delays, leaving the US with a greatly diminished power-projection capability in the region.

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The question remains open: was it really a household accident, or are we witnessing the first great failure of gunboat diplomacy in the 21st century? Meanwhile, the USS Gerald Ford is sailing towards Crete, carrying more doubts than certainties.

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