Image Credits: Wikipedia A 17.5 million USD contract has been awarded to General Dynamics to carry out repairs on the world’s largest aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, which was damaged in a laundry fire in March. As per the contract, the carrier will undergo extensive maintenance work at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard till March 2027. At the time of the incident, the U.S. Navy reported that the fire had been contained, that two sailors suffered minor injuries and that the carrier was fully operational. However, new images of the warship reveal more severe damage than initially reported by authorities. The carrier’s fire-suppression system did not activate at the time of the incident, which led to the spread of the blaze, ultimately extinguished after 30 hours. The fire burned 600 beds, so crew members were reported to be bunking on floors and tables. Many also suffered from respiratory issues after inhaling the smoke. The incident occurred while the carrier was deployed in the Middle East when the U.S-Iran war had just begun in late February. Additionally, since the fire started in the laundry area, the crew had no place to wash their clothes. CENTCOM also said that the fire did not damage the ship’s propulsion plant through crew reported that the plumbing system frequently broke down, affecting 650 toilets.