Fresh footage obtained by CNN has revealed significant fire damage aboard the USS Gerald R. Ford, America's most advanced aircraft carrier, months after the US Navy described the incident as a contained onboard fire with limited operational impact.
The footage, recorded after a blaze broke out aboard the carrier in March during military operations in the Middle East, shows extensive destruction inside sections of the vessel, including charred sleeping quarters, collapsed ceiling panels and damaged infrastructure.
According to CNN, the damage appears far more severe than what was outlined in the Navy's initial public statements.
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New questions over operational impact
At the time of the incident, the US Navy said the fire had been brought under control and that only two sailors sustained minor injuries. Officials maintained that the vessel remained fully operational.
However, CNN reported that the carrier was unable to conduct flight operations for two days following the fire and was later required to sail to Greece for temporary repairs.
Exclusive footage obtained by CNN shows extensive fire damage aboard the USS Gerald R. Ford following a March blaze during operations against Iran.
— IRIB (Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting) (@iribnews_irib) June 4, 2026
The fire took around 30 hours to fully extinguish and affected accommodations for roughly 600 sailors. pic.twitter.com/HjcmekSRVb
A senior US official told the network that the original public assessment did not fully reflect the operational disruption caused by the incident.
The report also cited concerns over the ship's fire-suppression system, which reportedly failed to activate automatically, forcing crew members to battle the blaze manually.
"It shouldn't have gotten that bad," an unnamed sailor told CNN, claiming the onboard suppression system did not function as expected. According to the report, firefighters and crew members spent nearly 30 hours bringing the blaze under control.
Carrier faces extended recovery
The fire reportedly displaced around 600 sailors from their living quarters and caused significant damage to accommodation areas.
Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Daryl Caudle acknowledged the seriousness of the incident but praised the crew's response, saying sailors acted courageously and helped return the ship to operations within days.
The USS Gerald R. Ford returned to its home port in Norfolk, Virginia, in May after completing an 11-month deployment, one of the longest carrier deployments in recent US naval history.
However, CNN reported that some officials believe the vessel could require extensive repairs and maintenance, potentially keeping it out of service for an extended period.
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Strategic significance
Commissioned as the lead ship of its class, the USS Gerald R. Ford is considered the most technologically advanced aircraft carrier in the US Navy and plays a critical role in American power projection across key global regions.
Any prolonged maintenance period could have implications for naval readiness at a time when geopolitical tensions remain elevated across multiple theatres, including the Middle East and the Indo-Pacific.
The US Navy has not publicly released additional details regarding the full extent of the damage or the ongoing repair timeline.
