The US Navy nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford arrived in Croatia on Sunday, March 29, thus concluding the ship's first time underway since the completion of repairs in Greece earlier this month.
Captain David Skarosi, Ford's skipper, said that the carrier arrived at the Port of Split to provide "some well-deserved liberty" for her crew.
This is the carrier's second visit to Split on her current deployment. The ship had called there between October 21 and 26, 2025, before heading to the Caribbean to support operations off Venezuela.
Ford had earlier arrived at Naval Support Activity Souda Bay in Greece on March 23 for maintenance and repairs after she suffered what US military officials said was a non-combat-related fire in her main laundry area while deployed in the Red Sea earlier this month as part of Operation Epic Fury.
An official has assured that there was no damage to the carrier's propulsion plant.
USNI News reported that more than 200 of her crew were treated for smoke inhalation, two others sustained lacerations, while another needed to be evacuated due to injuries suffered while conducting damage control.
The navy said Ford had remained fully mission capable despite the damage.