Exhaustion hits the US Navy… Why was the Ford’s deployment extended despite malfunctions?
Follow-ups – Al-Khabar Al-Yemeni:
The Wall Street Journal has revealed that the sewage system on the US aircraft carrier USS Ford has suffered recurring malfunctions, necessitating daily maintenance and costly cleaning operations, at a time when the ship’s crew faces increasing pressure due to the extension of its deployment period.
The newspaper quoted one sailor aboard the “Ford” as saying that many crew members feel anger and resentment over the decision to extend the mission, confirming that some are determined to leave the Navy immediately upon completion of the current deployment period.
This follows the decision of US President Donald Trump to deploy the “Ford” in the Mediterranean Sea as part of an American military mobilization against Iran, which increased the pressure on the fleet’s readiness.
Exhaustion Beyond the Carrier “Ford”:
The exhaustion crisis is not limited to the aircraft carrier “Ford” alone but extends to various units of the US fleet. In April and May 2025, as an eight-month mission was nearing its end, the aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman lost several of its fighter jets while confronting “Houthi” attacks in the Red Sea. An investigation conducted by the US Navy attributed the cause to the rapid operational tempo and mission pressure.
According to observers and military experts, the extension of the “Ford’s” deployment reflects a difficult operational reality, as the US fleet, consisting of ten aircraft carriers (down from 11 after the Nimitz was decommissioned), has experienced significant exhaustion during Red Sea operations, while several key carriers remain out of service due to maintenance or retirement.
Among the most prominent aircraft carriers currently unavailable:
– Aircraft Carrier Dwight D. Eisenhower: Entered maintenance a year ago and has not yet left port.
– Aircraft Carrier Harry S. Truman: Will undergo mid-life maintenance for over two years.
– Aircraft Carrier Carl Vinson: Currently undergoing maintenance.
– Aircraft Carrier Theodore Roosevelt: After a nine-month deployment, it remained from late 2024 and throughout 2025 in a maintenance and readiness phase, not leaving its base until January 24 of this year.
Longer Missions and Declining Morale:
Forbes magazine pointed out that the standard deployment duration for aircraft carriers used to be six months. However, operational requirements and the decline in the number of ready carriers have pushed mission extensions to eight or even nine months, which has negatively impacted crew morale and ship maintenance schedules.
Experts believe that the US Navy has become trapped in a continuous pressure loop, with global flashpoints increasing at a pace exceeding the response capacity of available aircraft carriers, raising questions about the sustainability of the American naval deployment given current resources.