U.S. Media Article: Where Are the 11 Active Aircraft Carriers of the United States? (Part Four)

Reference News Network reported on April 13 The U.S. magazine "National Interest" published an article titled "Where Are America's Aircraft Carriers Now?" on April 1. The author is Peter Suciu. The full translation is as follows:

USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76)

Current Status: In Port (Bremerton, Washington), undergoing scheduled maintenance

USS Ronald Reagan is completing a 17-month scheduled maintenance period that began last year, and it is expected to emerge from dry dock in the second half of 2026.

Named after the 40th President of the United States, Ronald Reagan, the ship was commissioned on July 12, 2003. During his presidency from 1981 to early 1989, Reagan significantly increased U.S. military spending. He envisioned a "600-ship Navy" to counter the Soviet Union and other global adversaries. However, with the fall of the Berlin Wall and the dissolution of the Soviet Union, these plans were ultimately scaled back.

As the ninth ship of the Nimitz class, it has been deployed on the front lines for an extended period. In the summer of 2024, it conducted partial "swap" operations with USS George Washington in San Diego, before arriving at its new home port in Bremerton, Washington, on August 13, 2024.

USS Ronald Reagan first arrived in Yokosuka, Japan, in 2015. As a forward-deployed aircraft carrier of the U.S. Navy, it has participated in dozens of multilateral exercises and visited numerous foreign ports, including a historic visit to Da Nang, Vietnam, in 2023.

Prior to this scheduled maintenance, USS Ronald Reagan was carrying Carrier Air Wing Five, equipped with approximately 90 aircraft, including F-35C Lightning II fighters, V-22 Osprey tiltrotor aircraft, and various other types.

USS George H.W. Bush (CVN-77)

Current Status: Deployed (Atlantic)

According to the U.S. Navy, USS George H.W. Bush departed its home port at Naval Station Norfolk on March 31 for a "scheduled deployment."

Although the Navy has never disclosed the specific details of this carrier's deployment in advance, some analysts speculate that USS Bush may be heading to the Middle East to support Operation Epic Fury. One of the two carriers in the region, USS Gerald R. Ford, experienced a serious onboard fire in March, subsequently withdrawing from operations and slowing the pace of U.S. air operations, leaving a gap that needs to be filled.

USS George H.W. Bush is named after the 41st President of the United States, George H.W. Bush, and was commissioned on January 10, 2009. This aircraft carrier was built using modular construction and is the second carrier after USS Ronald Reagan to feature a modernized island with a new radar tower. The island is smaller and significantly relocated aft, aimed at reducing radar cross-section and electronic self-interference while improving flight deck traffic.

USS George H.W. Bush carries Carrier Air Wing Seven, equipped with approximately 90 aircraft of various types, including F/A-18 Super Hornets, EA-18G Growlers, E-2 Hawkeyes, C-2 Greyhounds, and MH-60 Seahawk helicopters.

USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78)

Current Status: Entered Split, Croatia, on March 28, then departed

The U.S. Navy's newest and most powerful nuclear-powered aircraft carrier arrived in Split, Croatia, on March 28. Previously, USS Gerald R. Ford had been participating in Operation Epic Fury alongside USS Abraham Lincoln. However, on March 12, a serious fire broke out onboard, injuring two crew members and damaging laundry facilities and crew quarters.

Although the Navy initially downplayed the severity of the fire, it quickly withdrew the ship from the operational area. USS Gerald R. Ford transited the Suez Canal, arrived at Souda Bay Naval Base on the Greek island of Crete, where it stayed for several days, before moving on to Croatia.

It is currently unclear whether USS Gerald R. Ford will return to the Middle East to continue its mission or return to the U.S. for repairs. So far, the Navy has not disclosed its future plans.

Before the fire, USS Gerald R. Ford had been at sea for nearly nine months, far exceeding the typical post-Cold War deployment duration. The Navy had previously speculated that the current mission could last 11 months, and the carrier might not return home until May, but the fire is likely to alter those plans.

USS Gerald R. Ford is named after the 38th President of the United States, Gerald Ford, and was commissioned on July 22, 2017.

USS Gerald R. Ford carries Carrier Air Wing Eight, equipped with F/A-18 Super Hornets, EA-18G Growlers, E-2 Hawkeyes, C-2 Greyhounds, and MH-60 Seahawk helicopters.

In addition to these active carriers, USS John F. Kennedy (CVN-79) will be the second Ford-class carrier to join the U.S. Navy. It is named after the 35th President of the United States, John F. Kennedy. USS John F. Kennedy's keel was laid in 2015, and it was officially launched in 2019. It was originally scheduled to join the U.S. Navy in July 2025 to replace the aging USS Nimitz, but due to construction delays, the planned service date has been pushed back to March 2027. (Serial continues - End) (Translation/ Tu Qi)