US Navy could face years without several aircraft carriers ready for combat, NYT reports

Several U.S. Navy aircraft carriers will be out of combat readiness for years due to extended maintenance and technical issues, the New York Times reported, citing operational data. Of the Navy's 11 carriers, four are currently deployed to the Middle East, while the rest are dealing with maintenance or technical problems. The carrier USS Gerald R. Ford, which entered a maintenance dry dock after an 11-month deployment, is expected to undergo repairs lasting at least a year. The ship recently suffered a fire lasting more than 30 hours and a failure in its sewage system, according to the report. The newspaper said operational pressures have forced the Pentagon to redistribute carriers across different regions, a shift that has affected the U.S. naval presence in the western Pacific. No further details on the redeployment plans were immediately available.