A Second U.S. Navy Supercarrier Now Deployed To The Western Pacific

USS George Washington (CVN-73) shortly after berthing at Manila Bay in Manila on July 3, 2025. (Photo by Ted ALJIBE / AFP) (Photo by TED ALJIBE/AFP via Getty Images)

AFP via Getty Images

The United States Navy’s only forward-deployed nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, the USS George Washington (CVN-73), arrived at her homeport of Yokosuka, Japan, on Thursday, concluding her first full deployment since returning to the Indo-Pacific following her complex midlife refueling that was completed in late 2023.

The sixth Nimitz-class supercarrier departed from Yokosuka on June 10. The supercarrier took part in multiple operations with U.S. allies and partners, including the Australian-led Talisman Sabre 2025, which also saw participation from the Royal Navy’s flagship HMS Prince of Wales during the Operation Highmast Carrier Strike Group 2025 deployment to the Indo-Pacific.

Even as USS George Washington will spend the holidays back home, another U.S. Navy carrier arrived in the region this week.

CVN-72 Is In Guam

Just as CVN-73 arrived in Yokosuka, the fifth Nimitz-class flattop USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) made a scheduled port visit to Guam.

“Our Strike Group presence in 7th Fleet waters demonstrates our commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific,” said Rear Adm. Todd Whalen, commander, Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group. “Port calls to strategic locations like Guam enhance our mission readiness and help us stay ready to execute maritime operations in theater.”

The overseas territory of Guam is a “critical nexus for command and control, logistics, and power projection in the Indo-Pacific,” the U.S. Navy explained.

The visit by USS Abraham Lincoln follows that of USS George Washington less than two weeks ago.

“My crew is excited to be back in this area of the world, and we look forward to demonstrating what an aircraft carrier and carrier strike group bring to the fight,” said Capt. Dan Keeler, commanding officer of USS Abraham Lincoln. “Our Sailors are eager to learn from new cultures and strengthen partnerships across the region throughout our deployment.”

CVN-72 departed from Naval Base San Diego in August and, in the fall of 2025, participated in U.S. Indo-Pacific Command joint exercise Northern Edge 2025 in and around the Gulf of Alaska.

Home For The Holidays, But Still Overseas

As the only forward-deployed carrier, USS George Washington is technically home for the holidays, but that still means she’s thousands of miles from the United States. For some crew members, that means a long flight across the Pacific Ocean, while others will have downtime with their families in Japan.

Following the end of the Second World War, the United States Navy established a presence at Yokosuka, which maintained ships of the U.S. Fleet in the Pacific. The importance became evident during the Korean War in 1950, and even after Japan’s formal occupation ended, Yokosuka remained an essential overseas base.

In the 1970s, USS Midway (CV-41) became the first forward-deployed aircraft carrier, following an accord reached between Tokyo and Washington in August 1972.

It was 20 years ago that CVN-73 also replaced USS Kitty Hawk (CV-63), becoming the first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier to serve in the role. USS George Washington remained the U.S. Navy’s forward-deployed carrier until 2014, when she was relieved by USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76). That allowed CVN-73 to return to Naval Station Norfolk for her complex midlife refueling, and also because U.S. law limits a warship’s forward-deployment to no more than a decade.

Another Flattop In The Region

In addition to CVN-72 and CVN-73, the U.S. Navy’s America-class amphibious assault ship, USS Tripoli (LHA-7), was forward-deployed to Sasebo, Japan, earlier this year. In May, the warship departed Naval Base San Diego, her homeport since September 2020, as part of a scheduled rotation of forces to the Pacific, replacing USS America (LHA-6).

The amphibious assault ship can deploy Marine Expeditionary Units (MEU) with up to 2,200 troops while serving as the flagship of an expeditionary strike group or an amphibious ready group. However, not a true aircraft carrier, the America-class flattops are larger than many aircraft carriers in service with many foreign navies.

LHA-7 arrived in Da Nang, Dec. 8, while conducting routine operations in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations.

“We could not have asked for a warmer welcome from our Vietnamese partners,” said Rear Adm. Tom Shultz, commander, Task Force 76, whose flagship is Tripoli. “Our visit highlights the strengthening relationship between our two nations and militaries, enables us to build operational understanding and trust, and reinforces our relationship on a personal level while advancing our shared goals of peace, prosperity, and economic security in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific.”

Beyond the good will port visit, the deployment of the amphibious assault ship also increases the number of fifth-generation Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning IIs available for operations in the region.

The two nuclear-powered carriers operate air wings that include the F-35C, the carrier-based version of the multirole stealth fighter. In contrast, the LHA-7 operates with the F-35B, the short-takeoff/vertical-landing variant of the Joint Strike Fighter.

Operating with STOVL aircraft allows amphibious assault ships to serve as light or “lightning carriers,” similar to the Casablanca-class flattops employed by the United States Navy during the Second World War. Last month, USS Tripoli conducted its nighttime flight ops with its F-35Bs.

These deployments indicate that the U.S. Navy has once again shifted its focus back to the Indo-Pacific after rotating multiple carriers to the Middle East.