Where Are The Aircraft Carriers?: October 17, 2026

Key Points:

• The USS Theodore Roosevelt, carrying carrier-based aircraft including F-35Cs, arrived in Yokosuka, Japan, marking the first non-resident U.S. carrier visit to the port in over four years, ahead of participating in exercise Keen Sword 27 to enhance U.S.-Japan military interoperability.
• The USS Abraham Lincoln returned to San Diego after a historic 321-day combat deployment, setting a modern record for days at sea without a port call and conducting extensive operations against Iranian forces, including flying over 14,000 sorties and destroying numerous enemy assets.
• The USS George H.W. Bush departed Phuket, Thailand, after a five-day port visit and returned to the Middle East to support maritime security alongside the USS George Washington, while other destroyers in its strike group conducted separate operations and port calls in the region.
• The Navy achieved a milestone with the first arrested landing and catapult launch of an F-35C Lightning II aboard the future USS John F. Kennedy, the newest Gerald R. Ford-class carrier, as part of ongoing aircraft compatibility testing ahead of the ship’s expected delivery in 2027.
• Currently, three U.S. aircraft carriers are deployed, with others in various stages of readiness, maintenance, or training, alongside multiple amphibious ready groups, reflecting a broad operational posture across global naval theaters.