The U.S. Navy’s newest and most advanced aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, has become the center of an unusual story ahead of its deployment toward the Middle East amid rising tensions with Iran. The carrier is currently dealing with significant sanitation challenges that have left sailors waiting in line for as long as 45 minutes to use the few functioning toilets on board, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal.
Long Queues For The Toilet, Growing Frustration
The USS Gerald R. Ford, in preparation for a potential Iran mission, has over 4500 sailors on board. Now, they are standing in queues for up to 45 minutes to use the toilets. The warship, one of the most expensive aircraft carriers in history, is struggling to provide basic sanitation facilities for its own crew.
The toilet crisis, along with the extended length of deployment of the ship, as well as the separation from family, has affected the morale of the sailors who are reportedly getting increasingly frustrated.
The USS Gerald R. Ford, a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier commissioned by the U.S. Navy in 2017 at a cost of about $13 billion, has faced repeated failures in its vacuum-based sewage system during an extended deployment near the Middle East, where it was positioned to bolster… pic.twitter.com/W3fblrvoiJ
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Why Toilet Jammed on the Most Expensive Warship of the World?
This is the most expensive warship of the US, and the toilet crisis has happened because of a lack of maintenance. The warship has been in the ocean since the 2025 June and played an important role in the Venezuelan strike, where the US captured the Venezuelan President Nicholas Maduro.
Although this is not the first time the toilets have been non-functional. The same problem appeared in March 2025 for 4 days on the warship. The toilet issues stem from the ship’s vacuum-based sewage system, which has repeatedly broken down as it is prone to clogs and operational failures.
How will Toilets be functional?
The toilets suffer from a key engineering defect, the vacuum based sewage system. This means that a single valve failure can disable all the toilets. The other problem is calcium buildup, which is why the narrow pipes get clogged.
Lack of routine maintenance, as the warship has been on the move continuously, is also a reason why the toilets are malfunctioning. The solution to these problems is regular maintenance and acid flushes for the calcium buildup.
Despite its technological sophistication, the USS Gerald R. Ford is facing a major sanitation problem. Technicians are working 19 hours a day to clear the mess.
Why is the USS Gerald R Ford Stationed Near Iran
The USS Gerald R. Ford is being deployed to the Middle East as part of a broader U.S. military buildup amid rising tensions with Iran. Reports indicate the carrier is moving to join other American naval forces already operating in the region. Being at sea since June 2025, the warship played a crucial role during the US’s Venezuelan strike, where President Nicolas Maduro was captured.
The USS Gerald R. Ford had spent months on deployment, including missions linked to U.S. operations near Venezuela. It was reportedly scheduled for maintenance at Norfolk Naval Shipyard in Virginia this year.
However, due to urgent military needs, the carrier was redeployed to the Middle East and positioned near Iran, where it is expected to play a key role in any potential U.S. operation against Tehran.
