USS Gerald R. Ford: the world's biggest aircraft carrier

The USS Gerald R. Ford -- the world's largest aircraft carrier -- is currently deployed in the Mediterranean Sea and is expected to take part in strikes against Iran if US President Donald Trump decides to launch them.

Washington has threatened military action against Tehran if talks fail to reach a replacement for the nuclear deal Trump tore up in 2018, and he has ordered the deployment of a massive military force -- including the Ford -- to the Middle East.

Below are some key facts about the aircraft carrier.

- Massive warship -

The ship is the first Ford-class carrier -- a new design that will gradually replace older Nimitz-class ships -- and was commissioned by Trump in 2017. The $13-billion vessel embarked on its first deployment five years later in 2022.

The carrier -- powered by two nuclear reactors -- displaces 100,000 long tons when fully loaded, is more than 1,100 feet (335 meters) long and can sail at more than 34 miles (55 kilometers) per hour.

The ship is crewed by more than 4,000 sailors, carries dozens of warplanes, and is currently accompanied by three guided missile destroyers.

- Eight months at sea -

The Ford has been at sea for more than eight months -- a deployment that has already seen it take part in US operations in the Caribbean, where Washington's forces have carried out strikes on alleged drug-smuggling boats, interdicted sanctioned tankers and seized Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro.

The carrier has suffered significant problems with its toilet system while at sea, with US media reporting clogs and long lines for restrooms on the ship.

The issue is not new -- a 2020 report from the US Government Accountability Office said the ship's toilet system was subject to "unexpected and frequent clogging" and requires acid flushes on a regular basis to clear it, at a cost of $400,000 each time.

The Navy acknowledged the reports of toilet problems in a statement on Thursday, but cited ship leadership as saying that "clog incidents are addressed promptly by trained damage control and engineering personnel, with minimal downtime."

- Middle East deployment -

The Ford spent about three months in the Caribbean before Trump ordered it to sail for the Middle East earlier this month as tensions with Iran rose.

It entered the Mediterranean on February 20, then sailed to the Greek island of Crete, where it took on food, fuel and ammunition at Souda Bay before departing on Thursday.

Satellite imagery showed the ship around 410 miles (660 kilometers) from the Israeli port city of Haifa -- where media reports indicate it is heading -- as of Friday morning.