In March this year, the U.S. Navy's Ford-class aircraft carrier experienced a fire during operations against Iran. At the time, the U.S. Navy issued a brief statement saying the blaze had been "contained," two sailors were treated for "non-life-threatening injuries," and the carrier remained "fully combat-capable." However, new video footage disclosed by CNN shows that the fire was far more severe and destructive than initially described by the Navy. Sleeping berths aboard the ship were completely burned away, reduced to blackened, twisted metal; the ceiling appeared to have been pierced by flames, with wires dangling from it, and ash piles surrounded the beds. According to sailors onboard and informed senior officials, the ship’s firefighting systems failed to function properly during the incident, forcing crew members to fight the fire manually. It took approximately 30 hours to extinguish the blaze, clear the site, and prevent re-ignition. Around 600 sailors’ berths were destroyed. The carrier was then operating in the Red Sea supporting U.S. military actions against Iran, and the fire indeed impacted its combat readiness. Admiral Mike Coady, Chief of Naval Operations, stated in April that it took two days before the Ford could resume launching aircraft, and the carrier was forced to divert to a port in Greece for temporary repairs.
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Original source: toutiao.com/article/1867130355442697/
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