This past weekend, over half of the United States Navy’s aircraft carriers were out at sea, a significant move as the nation deals with a maritime power gap while facing various global challenges.
A “multi-carrier formation” was spotted crossing the Atlantic Ocean for an ordnance transfer with two supply ships, featuring the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, USS Harry S. Truman, and USS Gerald R. Ford.
The Dwight D. Eisenhower and Harry S. Truman are formidable 97,000-ton Nimitz-class carriers, while the Gerald R. Ford, commissioned in 2017, is the world’s largest carrier at 100,000 tons, all stationed at Naval Station Norfolk in Virginia.
In Focus
USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, USS Harry S. Truman, and USS Gerald R. Ford transit the Atlantic for an ordnance transfer on August 24.
The Dwight D. Eisenhower recently returned from a “historic” nine-month deployment in the Middle East, where it played a key role in combat operations against Iran-backed forces in the region. Its strike group launched a significant arsenal of missiles for both air defense and land strikes during this time.
The Gerald R. Ford also returned to Norfolk earlier this year after an extended deployment in Europe, which was lengthened due to the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas conflict. The carrier is currently out in the Atlantic to hone its operational capabilities as part of the Navy’s optimized fleet response approach.
This strategic plan ensures that the Navy can adapt to changing maintenance and deployment requirements while maintaining readiness for global events.
The Harry S. Truman, on the other hand, is busy finalizing preparations for its own deployment later this year.
Besides these three carriers, there are two more in Norfolk: the USS John C. Stennis, which is undergoing a midlife overhaul until October 2026, and the USS George H.W. Bush, expected to finish maintenance by July 2024.
Out on the West Coast, two aircraft carriers, the USS Theodore Roosevelt and USS Abraham Lincoln, are currently engaged in the Middle East, positioned strategically in the Gulf of Oman.
🇺🇸Carrier Strike Group 3 & Carrier Strike Group 9🇺🇸
USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) & USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71) spotted on @planet operating in the Gulf of Oman ~260km apartOf course the IDs could be switched but fairly confident that @TheRealCVN71 is operating closer in pic.twitter.com/HFhW95btYd
— MT Anderson (@MT_Anderson) August 26, 2024
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin recently assured that two American carrier strike groups would remain in the region in response to heightened tensions following Israel’s airstrikes on Hezbollah.
Although there aren’t any carriers currently available near China, U.S. officials maintain that military capabilities remain robust in both Asia and the Middle East.
Replacing aircraft carriers with other naval assets is a challenge, as their unique capabilities can’t be easily matched by destroyers or submarines.