Yuri Kobzar19:55, 05.06.26

Although the fire had been reported earlier, it has now emerged that the situation was worse than the Pentagon had claimed.

The US aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford , which participated in US operations against Iran in the Red Sea in the spring, suffered much more serious damage from a fire in March than the US Navy reported at the time, CNN reports  , which obtained exclusive video from aboard the ship.

It is noted that the US Navy initially stated that the fire was contained, two sailors suffered minor injuries, and the aircraft carrier itself remained “fully operational.” However, footage obtained by journalists shows extensive destruction in the ship’s interior.

According to the publication, the video shows the sailors’ sleeping quarters completely destroyed. All that remained of the beds were charred metal structures, the ceiling was significantly damaged, and there were piles of ash and hanging wires all around.

One of the crew members involved in fighting the fire told CNN that the situation was critical.

“I seriously thought we were going to lose the ship,” the sailor told reporters.

According to CNN sources, one of the main reasons for the widespread spread of the fire was a malfunction of the standard fire extinguishing system. Because of this, the crew had to fight the flames on their own.

“It shouldn’t have come to this. The fire extinguishing system built into the ship should have put it out,” the sailor emphasized.

The publication notes that the crew spent about 30 hours eliminating the consequences of the fire and preventing a re-ignition. Due to the damage, approximately 600 sailors lost access to their sleeping quarters.

According to a senior US official, the official Navy statement downplayed the incident. In fact, the fire affected the ship’s ability to carry out combat missions. Only two days after the incident did the aircraft carrier manage to resume flights, and later it was forced to enter a port in Greece for temporary repairs.

The USS Gerald R. Ford, which was commissioned in 2017 and is the newest and most advanced nuclear-powered aircraft carrier in the United States, has been a key player in the war against Iran, CNN reported. The ship has also been under constant threat from missile strikes and drone attacks, the channel reported.

(C)UNIAN 2026