Largest warship in history arrives in Split, Croatia

The largest warship ever built, the American aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford, arrived in Split, Croatia. The ship is over 330 meters long, 76 meters tall, has 25 decks, and can carry 75 military aircraft.

Construction of this colossus cost 12.8 billion dollars, while another 4.7 billion was spent on research and development. The ship has a crew of 4,500, including pilots and support staff.

The American embassy announced the ship arrived "for scheduled maintenance and a visit," and during the stay, local officials and key leaders will be received to affirm the "strong and enduring alliance between the US and Croatia."

This is the third visit of the ship to Split - previous ones were in June 2023 and October 2025. On board are F-35C fighters, F/A-18 Super Hornets, E-2D surveillance aircraft, EA-18G electronic warfare aircraft, as well as helicopters and drones.

Notably, the ship recently suffered a fire in its laundry on March 12, which lasted over 30 hours and left more than 600 sailors without sleeping quarters.