Major plumbing headache haunts $13 billion U.S. carrier off the coast of Venezuela

In this handout provided by the U.S. Navy, USS Gerald R. Ford, F/A-18E/F Super Hornets assigned to Strike Fighter Squadrons 31, 37, 87, and 213 from embarked Carrier Air Wing Eight, and a U.S. Air Force B-52 Stratofortress operate as a joint, multi-domain force on Nov. 13, 2025.

The crew of USS Ford is struggling to handle sewage problems on board the Navy's newest carrier.

(Image credit: Paige Brown)