We have updated our Privacy Policy. Please review to learn more. By continuing to use our services, you agree to these updates.

Carriers (Page 2)

Latest in Carriers

TWZ’s weekly carrier tracker monitoring America’s flattop fleet, including deployed Carrier Strike Groups (CSG) and Amphibious Ready Groups (ARG)
Carrier Tracker

Where Are The Aircraft Carriers: June 22, 2026

By Ian Ellis-Jones

Posted on Jun 22, 2026

America's aircraft carriers and deployed big-deck amphibious assault ships are as of June 15, 2026 by TWZ
Carrier Tracker

America’s Naval Force Posture Largely Unchanged With Iran Ceasefire Deal On The Horizon

By Ian Ellis-Jones

Posted on Jun 15, 2026

TWZ’s weekly carrier tracker monitoring America’s flattop fleet, including Carrier Strike Groups (CSG) and Amphibious Ready Groups (ARG)
Carrier Tracker

Iwo Jima Completes Deployment, Nimitz Heading Back To The United States

By Ian Ellis-Jones

Posted on Jun 8, 2026

TWZ’s weekly carrier tracker monitoring America’s flattop fleet, including deployed Carrier Strike Groups (CSG) and Amphibious Ready Groups (ARG).
Carrier Tracker

Littoral Combat Force Takes Up Station In Caribbean Under Navy’s New Deployment Concept

By Ian Ellis-Jones

Posted on Jun 1, 2026

Where are the aircraft carriers?
Carrier Tracker

Where Are The Carriers As Of May 26, 2026: Nimitz Arrives In The Caribbean

By Ian Ellis-Jones

Posted on May 26, 2026

This summer, the U.S. Navy will demonstrate the ability of the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford, with its two A1B nuclear reactors, to power a base on land.
USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78)

Supercarrier USS Gerald R. Ford To Act As Floating Nuclear Power Plant For Facilities On Land

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on May 24, 2026

Tracking U.S. Aircraft Carriers As of May 17 2026
Carrier Tracker

Where Are The Carriers As Of May 17, 2026: Ford Is Finally Home

By Ian Ellis-Jones

Posted on May 18, 2026

Where Are The Carriers As Of May 11, 2026: 20 Warships Enforce Iran Blockade
Carrier Tracker

Where Are The Carriers As Of May 11, 2026: 20 Warships Enforce Iran Blockade

By Ian Ellis-Jones

Updated on May 11, 2026

TWZ’s weekly carrier tracker monitoring America’s flattop fleet, including deployed Carrier Strike Groups (CSG) and Amphibious Ready Groups (ARG), using publicly available open-source information
Carrier Tracker

Where Are The Carriers As Of May 3, 2026: Ford Finally Heads Home

By Ian Ellis-Jones

Posted on May 4, 2026

Carrier Tracker As of April 26, 2026
Carrier Tracker

Carrier Tracker As of April 26, 2026

By Ian Ellis-Jones

Posted on Apr 26, 2026

The U.S. Navy has shared details about what looks to be a previously undisclosed effort to rapidly arm ships in two carrier strike groups with radar-guided Longbow Hellfire missiles to protect against drones.
Carriers

Navy Rushing To Arm Carrier Strike Groups With Hellfire Missiles

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Apr 23, 2026

The Navy has been taking a deep look at the design and capabilities, and associated costs, of the Ford class as compared to the older Nimitz class.
USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78)

Ford Class Review Puts Navy’s Future Carrier Plans Into Question

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Apr 22, 2026

The U.S. Navy has disclosed the test of an AeroVironment LOCUST laser counter-drone system aboard the Nimitz class aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush.
USS George H.W. Bush (CVN-77)

Navy Fires Drone-Frying LOCUST Laser From Supercarrier USS George H.W. Bush

By Howard Altman, Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Apr 20, 2026

TWZ’s weekly carrier tracker monitoring America’s flattop fleet, including deployed Carrier Strike Groups (CSG) and Amphibious Ready Groups (ARG), using publicly available open-source information.
Carrier Tracker

Carrier Tracker As of April 20, 2026

By Ian Ellis-Jones

Posted on Apr 20, 2026

TWZ Carrier Tracker as of April 12 2026 monitoring American carrier strike groups and amphibious ready groups.
Carrier Tracker

Carrier Tracker As of April 12, 2026

By Ian Ellis-Jones

Posted on Apr 13, 2026

Where are the carriers graphic.
Carriers

Carrier Tracker As Of April 3, 2026

By Ian Ellis-Jones

Posted on Apr 3, 2026

The aircraf carrier USS Nimitz has recently seen its service life extended, a sign of stress on the fleet.
USS Nimitz (CVN-68)

Navy Juggles Its Aircraft Carrier Plans To Stay Afloat (Updated)

By Howard Altman

Posted on Mar 17, 2026

A picture of a U.S. Navy EA-18G Growler taking part in the current operations against Iran shows the plane carrying an interesting split load of two different electronic warfare pods.
Carriers

EA-18G Growlers Carrying Mixed Load Of Old And New Jamming Pods Are Flying Iran Missions

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Mar 16, 2026

USS Ford heads to Israel. (U.S. Navy photo)
USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78)

USS Gerald R. Ford’s Imminent Arrival Off Israel Comes As Negotiations Grind On

By Howard Altman

Posted on Feb 26, 2026

USS gerald R Ford has entered the Mediterranean.
USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78)

Supercarrier USS Gerald R. Ford Has Crossed Into The Mediterranean

By Howard Altman, Tyler Rogoway

Posted on Feb 20, 2026

The USS Ford was ordered to the Middle East after CNO expressed concerns about the ships and crew after months at sea.
USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78)

Navy’s Top Admiral Previously Said He Would “Push Back” Against Extending USS Gerald R. Ford’s Deployment

By Howard Altman

Posted on Feb 13, 2026

The USS George H.W. Bush Carrier Strike Group conducts a simulated strait transit in the Atlantic Ocean, Dec. 10, 2025. The George H.W. Bush Carrier Strike Group is underway for Group Sail, its first integrated at-sea training phase. This event is designed to increase the Strike Group’s tactical proficiency and lethality across all domains, meeting Navy and Joint warfighting requirements. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class John R. Farren)
USS George H.W. Bush (CVN-77)

Second Carrier Strike Group Ordered To Spin-Up For Deployment To Middle East: Report

By Howard Altman

Posted on Feb 12, 2026

The U.S. Navy has shown no signs of reversing course on major changes to its pipeline for new Naval Aviators in its latest draft requirements for a replacement for its T-45 Goshawk jet trainers.
Carriers

Navy’s T-45 Replacement Will Not Be Capable Of Making Carrier Landing Touch And Goes

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Feb 4, 2026

A U.S. Navy F-35C Joint Strike Fighter flying from the supercarrier USS Abraham Lincoln has shot down an Iranian drone said to have “aggressively approached” the ship.
USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72)

F-35 From USS Abraham Lincoln Shoots Down Iranian Drone (Updated)

By Joseph Trevithick, Howard Altman

Updated on Feb 3, 2026

The initial production representative MQ-25 Stingray tanker drone for the U.S. Navy has completed its first low-speed taxi test.
Carriers

MQ-25 Stingray Has Begun Taxi Tests (Updated)

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Jan 30, 2026

The future USS John F. Kennedy, the second Ford class aircraft carrier for the U.S. Navy, has begun its initial sea trials.
Ford Class

Future USS John F. Kennedy, Second Ford Class Carrier, Has Set Sail For The First Time

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Jan 28, 2026

The USS Abraham Lincoln has arrived in the CENTCOM region.
USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72)

Lincoln Carrier Strike Group Has Arrived In CENTCOM’s Area Of Responsibility

By Howard Altman

Posted on Jan 26, 2026

The aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln is now in the Indian Ocean.
USS Nimitz (CVN-68)

Military Buildup In The Middle East Continues, Including What Trump Describes As A “Big Flotilla” (Updated)

By Howard Altman

Updated on Jan 23, 2026

The USS Abraham Lincoln has arrived in the CENTCOM region.
Carriers

Signs Emerge Of U.S. Navy, Air Force Push To Middle East

By Howard Altman

Posted on Jan 16, 2026

Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Daryl Caudle expressed concern about the strain on the USS Gerald Ford Carrier Strike Group after more than 200 days at sea.
USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78)

Navy’s Top Admiral Concerned About Strain On Ford Carrier Strike Group

By Howard Altman

Posted on Jan 14, 2026

Japan and South Korea scrambled jets to respond to a joint Russian-Chinese bomber patrol.
Carriers

Joint Chinese-Russian Bomber Patrol Sends Japanese, South Korean Fighters Scrambling

By Howard Altman

Posted on Dec 9, 2025

Online flight tracking data shows that a pair of U.S. Navy F/A-18 Super Hornets flew right into the center of the Gulf of Venezuela earlier today, and stayed there for some 40 minutes.
USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78)

F/A-18 Super Hornets Were Just Tracked Flying Deep Inside The Gulf Of Venezuela (Updated)

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Dec 9, 2025

The U.S. Navy has recovered an MH-60R Seahawk helicopter and an F/A-18F Super Hornet from the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz that crashed within half an hour of each other in the South China Sea on Oct. 26.
USS Nimitz (CVN-68)

Navy Recovers Crashed Super Hornet, Seahawk From Bottom Of South China Sea

By Howard Altman

Posted on Dec 9, 2025

Ticonderoga class firing SM-2
USS Harry S. Truman (CVN-75)

How USS Gettysburg Ended Up Shooting Down A Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet

By Howard Altman

Updated on Dec 5, 2025

In an apparent first since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, a Russian MiG-29 Fulcrum fighter has been destroyed, in a drone strike, according to Ukrainian reports.
Admiral Kuznetsov

First Russian MiG-29 Claimed Destroyed In Ukraine, But That May Not Be The Whole Story

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Dec 4, 2025

The Navy released findings of investigation into four mishaps aboard the USS Truman supercarrier
USS Harry S. Truman (CVN-75)

F/A-18 Super Hornet Shot Down By Navy Cruiser Investigation Findings Released (Updated)

By Howard Altman

Posted on Dec 4, 2025

A U.S. Air Force KC-135 Stratotanker offloads fuel to a U.S. Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet, assigned to the Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group, over the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility, April 8, 2025. The KC-135 Stratotanker is the backbone of U.S. Air Forces Central's global reach aerial refueling capability and delivers critical support to joint and coalition aircraft in order to guarantee war-winning airpower throughout the CENTCOM AOR.
Carriers

Super Hornet Seen With Rare SLAM-ER Missile Loadout On Yemen Mission

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Dec 3, 2025

The Navy's USNS Salvor is on scene to try and find two aircraft that crashed off the USS Nimitz last month.
USS Nimitz (CVN-68)

Navy Salvage Ship Trying To Fish Crashed Super Hornet And Seahawk Out Of South China Sea

By Howard Altman

Posted on Nov 20, 2025

As U.S. President Donald Trump suggests Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro wants to talk, the USS Ford is now about 700 miles north of Caracas.
USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78)

Pressure On Maduro Cranked Up As USS Gerald R. Ford Arrives In Caribbean

By Howard Altman

Posted on Nov 17, 2025

Recent imagery indicates that China is progressing work on a new aircraft carrier, its fourth, which is widely expected to introduce nuclear propulsion. The development comes just a week after the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) commissioned its first domestically produced carrier, the Fujian. Meanwhile, there are signs that Beijing may also still be working on at least one more conventionally powered carrier, too.
Carriers

Strong Evidence That China’s Next Carrier Will Be Nuclear Emerges In Shipyard Photo

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Nov 12, 2025

Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Daryl Caudle expressed concern about the strain on the USS Gerald Ford Carrier Strike Group after more than 200 days at sea.
USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78)

Supercarrier USS Gerald R. Ford Enters U.S. Southern Command’s Area Of Responsibility

By Howard Altman

Posted on Nov 11, 2025

Though the Trump administration's goals for Venezuela remain unclear, more military assets could be on the way to the Caribbean.
USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78)

U.S. Examining Sites To Send Additional Military Assets To Caribbean

By Howard Altman

Posted on Nov 7, 2025

China's growing weapons programs puts pressure on intelligence community.
Kuznetsov Class (and variants)

Can U.S. Intel Keep Up With China’s Tsunami Of Weapons Developments?

By Howard Altman, Tyler Rogoway

Posted on Nov 7, 2025

China has now formally commissioned its first catapult-equipped aircraft carrier, the Fujian, into service.
Carriers

China Commissions Newest Aircraft Carrier With Its Electromagnetic Catapults Front And Center

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Nov 7, 2025

The U.K. Royal Navy flagship, HMS Prince of Wales, is now carrying 24 F-35B fighters — the largest number to go aboard either of the U.K’s two aircraft carriers. This is a significant achievement for the British F-35 force, which has long faced questions about the feasibility of deploying a meaningful number of the short takeoff and vertical landing (STOVL) jets at sea — without U.S. Marine Corps aircraft making up the numbers.
Carriers

British Carrier Hosts Largest Number Of F-35Bs On A Ship Ever

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Nov 7, 2025

The USS Ford was ordered to the Middle East after CNO expressed concerns about the ships and crew after months at sea.
USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78)

Carrier USS Ford Holding Off Of North Africa As Trump Reportedly Won’t Strike Venezuela

By Howard Altman

Updated on Nov 6, 2025

A high-ranking Russian official said Moscow recently delivered air defense systems to Venezuela.
USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78)

Moscow Just Gave Venezuela Air Defenses, Not Ruling Out Strike Missiles: Russian Official

By Howard Altman

Posted on Nov 4, 2025

After a string of exotic stealthy combat jets, both crewed and uncrewed, the latest new Chinese military aircraft to break cover is somewhat different, but nonetheless interesting. The latest development concerns an advanced jet trainer, but one that clearly has considerable potential as a light combat aircraft, too.
Carriers

New Chinese Advanced Training Jet Breaks Cover

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Oct 28, 2025

President Donald Trump says he plans to sign an executive order that would compel the U.S. Navy to use steam-powered catapults and hydraulic elevators on new aircraft carriers.
USS George Washington (CVN-73)

Executive Order To Go Back To Steam Catapults On New Aircraft Carriers Coming: Trump

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Oct 28, 2025

Nimitz hornet and seakhawk crash
Carriers

“Bad Fuel” May Have Caused Back-To-Back Nimitz Aircraft Crashes: Trump

By Howard Altman

Posted on Oct 27, 2025

The Navy has moved several warships deployed to the Caribbean out of the path of Hurricane Melissa.
Carriers

Massive Hurricane Forces Movement Of Several Navy Ships Deployed To Caribbean

By Howard Altman

Posted on Oct 27, 2025

The U.S. Navy's supercarrier USS Gerald R. Ford and at least a portion of the rest of its strike group have been ordered to Latin American waters.
USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78)

Supercarrier USS Ford Being Pulled From Europe And Ordered To Caribbean

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Oct 24, 2025

The Navy explained why damage was still seen on the USS Harry Truman months after a collision at sea.
USS Harry S. Truman (CVN-75)

Carrier USS Truman’s Collision Damage Won’t Be Repaired Until It Goes Through Complex Overhaul

By Howard Altman

Posted on Oct 10, 2025

The U.S. Department of Defense may finally be ready to choose which company will develop and build the U.S. Navy’s F/A-XX next-generation carrier-based fighter. A report from Reuters today states that U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth personally gave the green light for the selection last Friday. However, this is not the first time that there have been reports that this decision was imminent, as you can read about here.
Carriers

Navy F/A-XX Stealth Fighter Selection Imminent: Reports

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Oct 7, 2025

J-35 launches aboard carrier.
Carriers

China’s Aircraft Carrier Capability Just Made A Stunning Leap Forward

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Sep 22, 2025

The U.S. Navy has taken an important step forward toward acquiring new carrier-based Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) type drones with contracts to Anduril, Boeing, General Atomics, Lockheed Martin, and Northrop Grumman.
Carriers

Navy Carrier-Based ‘Loyal Wingman’ Drone Development Suddenly Pushes Forward (Updated)

By Joseph Trevithick, Howard Altman

Updated on Sep 5, 2025

Boeing has provided a new rendering for its F/A-XX proposal and it’s remarkably similar to concept artwork that has already been released for its F-47, selected for the U.S. Air Force’s Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) ‘fighter’ initiative. While it’s important to not read too much into the final appearance of either of those aircraft, based on these concepts, the new rendering does, at least, correspond with Boeing’s previous suggestions that the F/A-XX and F-47 would incorporate some commonality.
Carriers

Boeing’s New F/A-XX Next Gen Naval Fighter Concept Looks Familiar

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Aug 29, 2025

U.S. Navy Vice Adm. Daniel Cheever, commonly referred to as the service's "Air Boss," is still "eagerly awaiting" a new F/A-XX next-generation carrier-based fighter despite the uncertainty now swirling around that program.
Carriers

F/A-XX Next Generation Naval Fighter Selection Could Still Happen

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Aug 25, 2025

Naval aviators need to be able to trust any future drone wingmen as much as their human counterparts, a U.S. Navy strike fighter tactics instructor has told TWZ.
Carriers

Navy Fighter Pilots Need To Gain Trust In Pilotless Wingmen By Actually Flying With Them

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Aug 22, 2025

The U.K. Royal Air Force F-35B stealth jet that was forced to make an emergency diversion to Japan last week is still there, the U.K. Ministry of Defense has told TWZ.
Queen Elizabeth Class

UK F-35B Still Stranded In Japan Is Awaiting Spare Parts

By Thomas Newdick

Updated on Aug 14, 2025

Northrop Grumman has released a new rendering of a possible configuration for its submission for the U.S. Navy’s F/A-XX next-generation carrier-based combat jet. The program has long been even more secretive than the U.S. Air Force’s Next Generation Air Dominance jet, with only a handful of concept artworks previously released. In the meantime, the future of the Navy program is being increasingly questioned, with the service and Pentagon officials apparently at loggerheads about how best to proceed with it.
Carriers

F/A-XX Next Generation Naval Fighter Concept Art Emerges From Northrop Grumman

By Thomas Newdick, Tyler Rogoway

Posted on Aug 7, 2025

The latest addition to China’s growing family of Shenyang J-15 carrier-based fighter series, the J-15DT electronic warfare version, appears to have entered operational service. Crucially, this electronic attack Flanker is equipped for operations aboard catapult-equipped aircraft carriers like the Fujian, which recently began to host fixed-wing aircraft trials. Progress with the J-15DT points not only to China’s the scope of carrier aviation ambitions, but the growing focus on catapult assisted takeoff but arrested recovery (CATOBAR) operations, which offer many advantages.
Carriers

Our Best Look At China’s New J-15DT Carrier-Based Electronic Warfare Jet

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Aug 5, 2025

Signs are growing that China's People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) is close to demonstrating its ability to launch and recover aircraft from its first catapult-equipped aircraft carrier, the Fujian, if it has not done so already.
Carriers

China Teases First Catapult Launches From Its New Carrier Fujian

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Aug 1, 2025

Ground testing has begun on the production representative MQ-25 Stingray tanker drone for the U.S. Navy, which comes ahead of an expected first flight before the end of this year.
Carriers

MQ-25 Stingray Carrier-Based Uncrewed Tanker Ground Testing Now Underway

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Jul 29, 2025