US carrier Ford arrives in Croatia for repairs

SPLIT, Croatia, March 28 (Reuters) - ‌The U.S. ​aircraft ​carrier Gerald R. Ford, which had been deployed in U.S.-Israeli operations against Iran, anchored in Croatia's Adriatic ‌port of Split on Saturday for repairs and maintenance.

The Ford, America's ⁠newest and the world's largest carrier, was operating in the Red Sea in ‌support of Operation Epic ‌Fury when a non-combat fire broke out in its main laundry room on March 12, injuring three sailors.

Nearly 200 sailors ​were also treated for smoke-related issues, a U.S. official said at the time. The fire took hours to bring ⁠under control and had an impact on roughly 100 sleeping berths.

The warship has ​been deployed for nine months and also took part in operations against Venezuela in the Caribbean prior ​to arriving in the Middle East.

It ‌has been plagued by plumbing problems during its deployment, affecting the nearly 650 toilets.

The Ford had ⁠temporarily stopped at Souda Bay on the Greek island of Crete. The government of Croatia, which is a NATO-ally of the U.S., approved ⁠its arrival earlier this week.

"During its visit, the USS Gerald R. Ford ​will host local officials and key leaders to reaffirm the strong and enduring alliance between the United States and Croatia," the U.S. embassy to ‌Croatia said in a statement.

The carrier, staffed by more than 5,000 sailors, has more than ‌75 military aircraft aboard, including fighter aircraft like the F-18 Super ⁠Hornet, and boasts a ‌sophisticated radar system for ​air traffic control and navigation.

(Reporting by Antonio Bronic in Split; Writing by Aleksandar Vasovic; Editing by Joe ‌Bavier)

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