U.S. service members line up on the deck of the USS Gerald R. Ford while operating in the Mediterranean Sea earlier this month. The Ford arrived in Split, Croatia, on Saturday, March 28, 2025. (U.S. Central Command)
NAPLES, Italy — The aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford arrived in Croatia over the weekend after a stay of just three days in Greece for assessments and repairs following a fire aboard the ship earlier this month, according to the Navy.
The Ford left U.S. Naval Support Activity Souda Bay on the island of Crete on Thursday, arriving in Split, Croatia, on Saturday, U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa/U.S. 6th Fleet said in a statement Saturday.
Meanwhile, the amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli arrived in the Middle East on Friday, U.S. Central Command announced in a post to its X account Saturday.
The ship is the lead vessel of the Tripoli Amphibious Ready Group, which includes the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit and some 3,500 sailors and Marines, along with transport and strike fighter aircraft, CENTCOM said.
The Tripoli group also includes the amphibious transport dock ship USS New Orleans.
A third vessel that operated with the Tripoli ARG earlier this month, the amphibious transport dock ship USS San Diego, remained in Sasebo, Japan, USNI News reported Monday.
The Navy did not say how long the Ford would be in Croatia or whether it would return to the Middle East or take up a position in the eastern Mediterranean Sea in support of Operation Epic Fury, the U.S.-Israel campaign against Iran that began Feb. 28.
While some elements of the George H.W. Bush Carrier Strike Group, including the destroyers USS Ross and USS Mason, have started operations for an upcoming deployment, the carrier USS George H.W. Bush appeared to still be in port in Norfolk, Va., Sunday.
The Bush group presumably will relieve the Ford, which has been on deployment for more than nine months, operating in the Mediterranean, Caribbean and Red Sea, among other locations.
The port call in Croatia gives Ford sailors some time off after working at Souda Bay to help rehabilitate seven berthing compartments, the Navy said.
The Navy did not detail what maintenance or repairs occurred, only saying that during the visit to Souda Bay, service maintenance personnel, including structural engineers, naval architects and other experts, conducted a repair assessment.
Military and federal civilian law enforcement also were continuing their investigations into a March 12 fire aboard the ship that originated in the carrier’s laundry facilities as it operated in the Red Sea, according to the statement.
The Ford arrived at Souda Bay on Monday following the fire that left three sailors with unspecified non-life-threatening injuries and displaced hundreds more.
Two of those sailors subsequently returned to full duty, while the third was last reported in stable condition after being flown off the ship for additional medical treatment.
The fire did not impact Ford’s propulsion plant and the carrier remained fully operational, continuing flight operations and other duties in support of U.S. missions in the region, officials said.
The Navy has released few details about the fire, including its cause, only saying that it remains under investigation.
But reports indicate the blaze displaced 600 sailors who were sleeping on floors and on tables, in some cases, and destroyed 100 beds along with the personal possessions of crew members.
The Ford group includes Carrier Air Wing 8 and the destroyers USS Winston S. Churchill, USS Bainbridge and USS Mahan. Nearly 4,500 sailors and military personnel are aboard the carrier, according to the Navy.