Where Are The Aircraft Carriers: June 29, 2026

Key Points:

• Carrier Air Wing 5 aboard USS George Washington conducted a live-fire sinking exercise (SINKEX) near Guam during exercise Valiant Shield, sinking the ex-USS Juneau with coordinated strikes involving U.S. and partner forces, including a Japanese submarine delivering the final torpedo.
• USS Theodore Roosevelt arrived at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam on June 23 to prepare for RIMPAC 2026, the largest-ever iteration of the biennial multinational maritime exercise featuring 30 partner nations, 31 surface ships, five submarines, and over 200 aircraft.
• USS Nimitz participated in the inaugural multinational Fleet Exercise (FLEETEX) 250 in the Atlantic with 25 other ships and 13 allied countries, focusing on tactical training and interoperability; the carrier later docked in Mayport, Florida, and will sail to New York for the International Naval Review 250.
• Boeing’s MQ-25A Stingray drone was spotted on USS Nimitz’s flight deck, marking advancements in naval aviation, while the C-2A Greyhound aircraft made its final carrier landing, signaling the transition to the CMV-22B Osprey for carrier onboard delivery missions.
• USS Dwight D. Eisenhower and USS Carl Vinson are conducting training and carrier qualifications on the U.S. east and west coasts, respectively, while USS Abraham Lincoln and USS George H.W. Bush remain deployed in the Middle East, continuing flight operations amid ongoing regional tensions.