The China Mail - USS Gerald R. Ford: the world's biggest aircraft carrier

The carrier has now been at sea for almost nine months and will reportedly soon set sail for the island of Crete for repairs after a blaze broke out aboard the ship last week.

Below are some key facts about the aircraft carrier.

- Middle East deployment -

The withdrawal of the Ford would leave a significant gap in US forces in the region, where the dozens of warplanes it carries have taken part in more than two weeks of strikes against Iran.

But the New York Times quoted a military official as saying the Ford will probably be relieved by another carrier -- the USS George H.W. Bush -- which is preparing to deploy to the Middle East.

- Massive warship -

The ship is the first Ford-class carrier -- a new design that will gradually replace older Nimitz-class ships -- and was commissioned by President Donald Trump in 2017. The $13-billion vessel embarked on its first deployment five years later in 2022.

The carrier -- powered by two nuclear reactors -- displaces 100,000 long tons when fully loaded, is more than 1,100 feet (335 meters) long and can sail at more than 34 miles (55 kilometers) per hour.

The ship is crewed by more than 4,000 sailors and is accompanied by multiple guided missile destroyers.

- Nearly nine months at sea -

The Ford has been at sea for more than eight 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.

A fire broke out in a laundry room aboard the carrier last week, injuring two sailors and causing major damage to some 100 beds.

"There were about 100 beds that were significantly damaged," a US defense official said Tuesday, while adding that it had not impacted the carrier's operations and all sailors have a place to sleep.

The carrier has also reportedly suffered significant problems with its toilet system while at sea, with US media saying clogs and long lines for restrooms on the ship.

The issue is not new -- a 2020 report from the US Government Accountability Office said the ship's toilet system was subject to "unexpected and frequent clogging" and requires acid flushes on a regular basis to clear it, at a cost of $400,000 each time.

The Navy acknowledged the reports of toilet problems in a statement last month, but cited ship leadership as saying that "clog incidents are addressed promptly by trained damage control and engineering personnel, with minimal downtime."

Senator Mark Warner, the vice chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, on Tuesday sharply criticized the extended deployment of the ship.

"The Ford and its crew have been pushed to the brink after nearly a year at sea, and they have been paying the price for President Donald Trump's reckless military decisions," he said in a statement.

Y.Su--ThChM