As the United States keeps a powerful naval presence near the Middle East amid rising tensions with Iran, its most advanced aircraft carrier is facing an unexpected and persistent challenge — repeated failures in its onboard sewage system.
The USS Gerald R Ford, commissioned in 2017 as the lead ship of a new class of supercarriers, has been hit by chronic plumbing breakdowns even as it continues extended deployment, according to several media reports. While the US Navy maintains that the technical issues have not compromised operational readiness, internal records and crew accounts point to mounting strain below deck.
