Plumbing Woes Plague Navy's Newest Supercarrier

USS Gerald R. Ford faces persistent toilet system failures, costing millions to fix

Published on Feb. 26, 2026

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The world's largest aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, is grappling with an ongoing plumbing crisis, with the ship's complex vacuum-based toilet system prone to frequent clogs and breakdowns. Despite costing millions to maintain, the issues have strained crew morale as the ship remains on an extended deployment to the Middle East.

Why it matters

The USS Ford's plumbing problems highlight the challenges of implementing new technologies on massive naval vessels, where even basic systems can have cascading impacts. The persistent failures raise questions about the ship's readiness and the Navy's ability to address systemic issues, especially as the Ford is deployed to a critical region.

The details

Since being commissioned in 2023, the USS Gerald R. Ford has required external assistance 42 times to address plumbing problems, with 32 of those instances occurring in 2025 alone. Engineers reported 205 breakdowns in just four days. The core issue lies with the ship's Vacuum Collection, Holding, and Transfer (VCHT) system, which features narrow pipes prone to clogging from even standard toilet paper. A common failure point is a valve behind the toilets, which can detach and cause a loss of suction throughout an entire zone. With 650 toilets serving a crew of 4,600, the scale of the problem is significant, and each acid flush to clear the system costs around $400,000.

  • Since being commissioned in 2023, the USS Gerald R. Ford has required external assistance 42 times to address plumbing problems.
  • In 2025 alone, the ship experienced 32 plumbing-related incidents.
  • Engineers reported 205 toilet system breakdowns in just four days.

The players

USS Gerald R. Ford

The world's largest aircraft carrier, commissioned in 2023 and currently deployed to the Middle East.

Captain David Skarosi

The commanding officer of the USS Gerald R. Ford, who acknowledged the strain the extended deployment is placing on crew morale.

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What they’re saying

“Sailors are missing significant personal events, such as weddings and planned vacations. Despite these sacrifices, he emphasized the commitment to national duty.”

— Captain David Skarosi, Commanding Officer, USS Gerald R. Ford (Wall Street Journal)

What’s next

The Navy was aware of the system's vulnerabilities for over a decade, and the USS Ford was originally slated for a maintenance period at Norfolk Naval Shipyard in Virginia before being redirected to the Caribbean and then the Middle East. The current deployment could last up to 11 months, potentially setting a record for the longest continuous deployment of a U.S. Navy ship.

The takeaway

The USS Gerald R. Ford's plumbing crisis highlights the challenges of implementing new technologies on complex naval vessels, where even basic systems can have significant operational and financial impacts. As the ship remains on an extended deployment, the persistent failures are straining crew morale and raising questions about the Navy's ability to address systemic issues in a timely manner.