The Nimitz Just Retired, the Kennedy Is Two Years Late, and Now the Ford Needs the Yard

The USS Gerald R. Ford Is Headed for a Long Repair Period, and the U.S. Navy Doesn’t Have the Carriers to Cover for Her

After the longest US carrier deployment since the Vietnam War, the USS Gerald R. Ford is finally home, facing months of repairs for fire damage, chronic plumbing failures, and heavy wear on its first-in-class systems.

On paper, the Navy has eleven carriers to absorb the loss of one. In reality, only a handful are ever available at any moment; one just retired, the next is running two years late, and the repair yards the Ford is headed for are already missing their deadlines. Sidelining the newest carrier for a year or more is a bigger problem than it looks.