Federal Law Enforcement Investigates Fire Aboard Ford Aircraft Carrier

USS Gerald R. Ford arrives in Split, Croatia, on March 28, 2026. U.S. Navy photoFederal law enforcement officials have initiated an investigation into the fire that sidelined the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford from combat operations against Iran earlier this month.A fire broke out aboard the aircraft carrier on March 12, as it was supporting a campaign of strikes on Iran known as Operation Epic Fury. The carrier, which is the first in its class and largest in the world, had been operating in the Red Sea when the fire broke out, and left the region soon after the fire to undergo repairs.