Map shows where US aircraft carriers are in Indo-Pacific

A Newsweek map shows that four United States aircraft carriers were underway across the Indo-Pacific this week—from the country’s West Coast to waters off the Arabian Peninsula.

With regard to the deployment of its aircraft carrier strike groups, the U.S. Navy said it is a symbol of Washington’s commitment to maintaining what it calls “a free and open Indo-Pacific region.”

Why It Matters

The U.S. military possesses the world’s largest aircraft carrier fleet, with 11 nuclear-powered vessels in active service—including six based in the Pacific Ocean—which are regularly deployed to help keep U.S. adversaries, namely China, North Korea and Iran, in check.

The multiple deployments of U.S. aircraft carriers come after China flexed its naval power by simultaneously sending two aircraft carriers to the Pacific Ocean recently, while the Pentagon maintains its military presence in the Middle East despite a ceasefire between Israel and Iran.

What To Know

Based on official disclosures and open-source satellite imagery, the locations of U.S. aircraft carriers are publicly available. USS Theodore Roosevelt departed San Diego, California, on Tuesday to conduct exercises aimed at bolstering the readiness of its carrier strike group.

The Theodore Roosevelt returned to San Diego last October after a nine-month deployment across the Indo-Pacific and the Middle East, during which it supported regional security and stability, as well as strengthened U.S. military force posture and capabilities, according to the Navy.

In the western Pacific, USS George Washington was spotted underway in the Celebes Sea—located between the Philippines and Indonesia—as of Sunday, following a patrol in the South China Sea during its deployment within the U.S. Seventh Fleet’s operating area.

The western Pacific and Indian Oceans are part of the Seventh Fleet’s area of operations.

Following operations with its sister ship, USS Nimitz, in the Middle East earlier this month, USS Carl Vinson returned to the Indian Ocean on an eastward voyage and was underway in the Andaman Sea—located off the coasts of Myanmar and Thailand—as of Tuesday.

Citing a U.S. defense official, USNI News reported that the Carl Vinson departed the North Arabian Sea on July 11. The aircraft carrier was deployed from San Diego last November.

The Nimitz, along with three destroyers and a replenishment oiler, was captured in satellite imagery while underway in the Arabian Sea off the southern coast of Oman on Sunday. Both the Nimitz and the Carl Vinson were previously repositioned from the western Pacific to the Middle East.

Of the remaining two Pacific-based U.S. aircraft carriers, USS Ronald Reagan continued scheduled maintenance at a shipyard in Bremerton, Washington, as of Tuesday, while USS Abraham Lincoln remained in San Diego following its return to port on July 10 after a few days at sea.

What People Are Saying

The U.S. Navy said of USS George Washington‘s deployment: “George Washington is the U.S. Navy’s premier forward-deployed aircraft carrier, a long-standing symbol of the United States’ commitment to maintaining a free and open Indo-Pacific region, while operating alongside allies and partners across the U.S. Navy’s largest numbered fleet.”

The U.S. Seventh Fleet previously told Newsweek: “Every day the U.S. Pacific Fleet operates to protect the security, freedom, and prosperity for the United States and our allies and partners, reflecting our commitment to maintaining peace and stability in the region.”

What Happens Next

It remains to be seen whether the Carl Vinson and the George Washington will operate together in the Western Pacific to counter China’s increased naval activities in the region.