The aircraft carrier "Theodore Roosevelt" will visit Yokosuka Port.

Reference News Network, October 13 According to a report from Japan's Asahi Shimbun website on October 11, interviews with several relevant individuals revealed that the U.S. Navy's nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt is about to dock at the Yokosuka base in Kanagawa Prefecture, and is currently in the final coordination stage. This will be the first U.S. aircraft carrier not homeported at Yokosuka to dock at the base in four years. Additionally, all parties are coordinating for the USS Theodore Roosevelt to participate in the Japan-U.S. joint military exercise starting on October 19, which will take place in the surrounding sea and airspace of Japan, as well as at Self-Defense Forces and U.S. military bases.

The USS George Washington, homeported at Yokosuka, is currently deployed to the Middle East, resulting in a continuous "absence" of U.S. aircraft carriers in the Western Pacific. The docking of the USS Theodore Roosevelt and its potential participation in the exercise, although temporary, also signifies the presence of U.S. aircraft carriers in the Western Pacific.

The USS Theodore Roosevelt is a Nimitz-class aircraft carrier of the U.S. Navy, which set sail from its homeport in San Diego, California, on September 27.

The last time a U.S. aircraft carrier not homeported at Yokosuka docked at the base was from May 21 to 26, 2022, when the USS Abraham Lincoln visited.

As of October 10, 2026, although no formal notification has been received regarding the docking in Yokosuka, the U.S. side has conducted exploratory communications through the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding the possibility of the aircraft carrier's docking. This docking may primarily aim at maintenance and supply replenishment. Furthermore, the U.S. side has informed Yokosuka City through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs that personnel on the aircraft carrier will be allowed to leave the base during the docking period.

In light of a recent incident in Okinawa involving a U.S. soldier suspected of robbery and murder, Yokosuka Mayor Katsuaki Kamiji has requested the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to convey the following opinion to the U.S. side: "Ensure that the aircraft carrier crew is fully aware of Japan's relevant rules and etiquette, and behaves ethically. Additionally, there must be foolproof safety management for the aircraft carrier."

On the other hand, the "Sword" military exercise, in which the USS Theodore Roosevelt may participate, is the largest-scale exercise conducted jointly by the Self-Defense Forces and the U.S. military, held every two years.

The Japan-U.S. joint exercise mechanism began in 1985, alternating annually between the live-fire exercise "Sword" and the command post exercise "Blade," aimed at confirming the Self-Defense Forces' operational capabilities in the event of armed attacks and the procedures for Japan-U.S. coordinated responses.

According to convention, U.S. aircraft carriers homeported at Yokosuka typically participate in the "Sword" exercise. However, the USS George Washington is still deployed in the Middle East and has not yet returned.

The reason the USS George Washington left its assigned Seventh Fleet jurisdiction and was dispatched to the Middle East is primarily due to the U.S. Navy facing challenges with ship scheduling. Although the U.S. Navy currently has 11 active aircraft carriers, only about half of them can be simultaneously deployed due to regular maintenance requirements such as reactor inspections.

Since launching strikes against Iran in February of this year, the U.S. military has deployed multiple aircraft carriers in the Middle East. However, prolonged deployments have also put pressure on the carriers and their crews. For example, the USS Abraham Lincoln, which primarily undertakes combat missions around Iran, has been at sea for over 250 consecutive days as of August 2026, raising concerns about shortages of supplies, deteriorating sanitary conditions, and the mental health of the crew.

The USS George Washington entered the Indian Ocean through the Strait of Malacca that month, replacing the USS Abraham Lincoln in the Middle East. Since then, the Western Pacific region has been in a state of "absence" of U.S. aircraft carriers. (Translated by Liu Lin)