Ford Carrier Under Fire and Scrutiny | Virginia Beach News

Virginia senators Tim Kaine and Mark Warner toured the USS Gerald R. Ford, currently in Portsmouth for a six-month maintenance window deemed “extraordinarily ambitious” by the duo. The carrier, which recently completed an unprecedented 11-month deployment covering four global circumnavigations, is still grappling with the aftermath of a serious onboard fire — one that required sailors to dump equipment and drill holes in the deck to fight flames. The Navy’s full investigation may lead to redesigns of fire suppression systems on future carriers. While families voiced concerns during a town hall meeting — described as tense and unhelpful — the senators acknowledged longer deployments are becoming more common, straining both crew morale and shipyard schedules. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/5bf4f7734f0e6453