The USS Gerald R. Ford, the largest aircraft carrier in the U.S. fleet, arrived Monday at Souda Bay in Crete for repairs after a fire earlier this month forced the warship to leave the Middle East, according to U.S. officials.

The Navy said the carrier reached the naval base for maintenance but "remains fully mission capable."

"The port call allows for the ship to undergo efficient assessment, repairs, and resupply. Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group continues its overseas deployment," the Navy said in a statement.

The fire broke out March 12 in the ship's main laundry area while the carrier was operating in the Red Sea in support of Operation Epic Fury, the U.S.-led military campaign against Iran.

U.S. officials said the blaze was not combat-related and was quickly contained, and the Navy said at the time that there was no damage to the ship's propulsion plant.

Two sailors were initially reported injured and in stable condition after the fire, while subsequent reporting from Stars and Stripes said three sailors were hurt, none with life-threatening injuries.

The carrier remained operational after the blaze, but the damage was serious enough to require a repair stop in Greece.

The USS Gerald R. Ford had been one of the most significant U.S. naval assets involved in recent operations tied to the conflict with Iran, carrying dozens of aircraft and nearly 4,500 sailors as part of its strike group.

Its move to Souda Bay comes after an unusually long deployment that began June 24, 2025, when the carrier strike group left Norfolk, Virginia, for what the Navy described at the time as a regularly scheduled deployment to the U.S. European Command area of responsibility.

That deployment later expanded beyond Europe and included operations in the Caribbean and then the Middle East.

By late February, the Ford was already more than eight months into its time at sea, and Navy leaders had publicly acknowledged the strain of the extended deployment while saying the ship and crew remained ready.

The Navy said in a Feb. 27 release that the sailors aboard the carrier continued to demonstrate "resilience, professionalism, and sustained morale while serving far from home."

The fire and subsequent diversion to Crete have intensified scrutiny of the long deployment and the strain placed on the crew.

Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., criticized the situation after the March 12 fire, calling the incident "incredibly concerning."

"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," Warner said.

The repair stop also raises fresh questions about the pace of U.S. naval operations as the Pentagon continues its campaign against Iran.

U.S. Central Command said in updates released this month that Operation Epic Fury began Feb. 28 and has involved thousands of combat flights and strikes against Iranian targets.

For now, the Navy has said only that the Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group remains on overseas deployment, leaving unanswered how long the repairs in Crete will take and when the carrier might return to combat operations.

• USS Ford Heads to Crete for Repairs After Red Sea Fire
• Additional Ships, Marines Deploying to Middle East