Key Points and Summary – USS Nimitz, the Navy’s oldest active carrier, is slated for retirement in 2026 after more than 50 years of service.
-Yet with global crises multiplying—from Houthi attacks in the Red Sea to Trump-era drug war strikes in the Caribbean and China’s expanding carrier fleet—dropping from 11 to 10 carriers, even briefly, could be risky. Delays to the new USS John F. Kennedy mean a potential one-year gap in carrier strength.
(June 18, 2023) An F/A-18F Super Hornet from the “Fighting Redcocks” of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 22 breaks the sound barrier during flight operations near the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68). Nimitz is underway conducting routine operations. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Kevin Tang)
-Given that Nimitz just completed a demanding Indo-Pacific cruise, a short life extension into 2027 may be the least bad option to preserve U.S. power projection.
USS Nimitz Is Facing Retirement. Can the Navy Really Afford to Let Her Go?
It is the end of an era for the USS Nimitz.
The aircraft carrier is expected to be decommissioned in 2026 after completing its last cruise.
On December 16, the Nimitz will return to its homeport at Naval Base Kitsap in Bremerton, Washington, where it faces retirement.
It is the Navy’s oldest carrier and has served for over 50 years.
The Nimitz is returning from a nine-month deployment in the Indo-Pacific and the Arabian Sea.
Once in Bremerton, it will transit to Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia, to begin the decommissioning service in May 2026.
That won’t be the end of aircraft carriers basing in Bremerton.
PHILIPPINE SEA (Sept. 29, 2021) An F/A-18E Super Hornet assigned to the “Golden Dragons” of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 192 prepares to launch off the flight deck of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70), Sept. 29, 2021. The Carl Vinson Carrier Strike Group is on a scheduled deployment in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations to enhance interoperability through alliances and partnerships while serving as a ready-response force in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific region. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Isaiah Williams) 210929-N-IW069-1057
The new USS John F. Kennedy, a Gerald R. Ford-class flat-top, will come to Washington for its commissioning in 2027.
The John F. Kennedy will eventually join the USS Ronald Reagan, another Nimitz-class carrier in Washington state.
The Need for Aircraft Carriers Despite Maintenance Requirements
The Nimitz, due to its advanced age, is expensive to keep afloat and requires extended maintenance for active service.
However, aircraft carriers are needed more than ever, and the Navy may need to reconsider its decision to retire the Nimitz.
Having 11 aircraft carriers in service gives the maritime branch more options for projecting power around the world.
The Battle Against Houthi Terrorists
Aircraft carriers are a presidential-level asset and must often steam to hot spots to respond to brushfire wars.
For example, the Iranian-backed Houthis terrorists caused all kinds of problems with civilian and military shipping in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.
The United States had to dispatch two carrier strike groups to the region and make sure the Houthis did not sink a ship with drones and anti-ship missiles.
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Persian Gulf (Feb. 8, 2005) The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman underway while on station in the Persian Gulf. Carrier Air Wing Three (CVW-3) is embarked aboard Truman and is providing close air support and conducting intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance over Iraq. The Truman Carrier Strike Group is on a regularly scheduled deployment in support of the global war on terrorism. U.S. Navy photo by Photographer’s Mate Rome J Toledo (RELEASED)
The Navy Is Fighting A Drug War in the Caribbean
Now the USS Gerald R. Ford is in the Western Hemisphere with its battle flotilla to intimidate Venezuela. The United States is making protection of the Homeland a priority and ordering strikes against boats carrying illegal narcotics launched from Venezuela and other South American states.
The Donald Trump administration is electing to destroy the drug vessels outright and eliminate narco-terrorists rather than arresting suspects using Coast Guard personnel.
It is a wartime footing that many Democrats have questioned due to its alleged lack of legality and a recent accusation of a “double tap” strike that saw a second missile sink a boat and kill two survivors.
A U.S. Navy F/A-18E Super Hornet of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 115 launches from the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) in the western Pacific Ocean Nov. 11, 2017. The Ronald Reagan, Theodore Roosevelt and Nimitz strike groups are underway conducting flight operations in international waters as part of a three-carrier strike force exercise. The U.S. Pacific Fleet has patrolled the Indo-Pacific region routinely for more than 70 years promoting regional security, stability and prosperity.
The Trump administration contends that no laws were broken during the action against the narco-terrorists.
USS Nimitz Aircraft Carrier and The Need to Stymie China
Obviously, China is a concern as the People’s Liberation Army Navy has three of its own carriers in service, with a fourth on the way that could be nuclear-powered.
It is plausible that the U.S. Navy could lose an aircraft carrier in battle against China.
That would be a shot heard round the world and a major focal point, shocking the American people.
Europe must be dealt with as Russia still refuses to end the war against Ukraine. American carriers are an asset that must lead NATO training to make certain the various navies from alliance members can project power in a way that intimidates Russia and deters its navy from conducting malign activity against Western countries
The USS John F. Kennedy Is Running Late
However, even though the U.S. Navy promises to maintain 11 active carriers at all times, there may be a year when only 10 are available.
The John F. Kennedy may be delayed for another two years before it is ready for active duty.
The Kennedy will now be delivered in March 2027.
(April 28, 2017) The aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68) transits Puget Sound enroute to its homeport at Naval Base Kitsap-Bremerton. The return to homeport marks the end of an underway with its carrier strike group, having successfully completed its composite training unit exercise and is now fully certified to deploy. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Vaughan Dill/Released)
If the Nimitz retired in 2026, that means the Navy will be one short in the carrier fleet.
The reason for the delay is similar to Gerald R. Ford’s tardiness.
The Advanced Arresting Gear and the Advanced Weapons Elevator need more work. These are brand new systems for the Ford-class that critics, including Trump, have pointed to as the culprits for the Navy’s carrier woes.
For these reasons, the Department of Defense could change Nimitz’s retirement date to 2027, get it ready, and send it on one more cruise to the Mediterranean or the Indo-Pacific.
It will likely not have a service life beyond 2027, but an extension could be necessary until the Kennedy has fixed its problems.
Five decades is a long time to serve, though. It is not clear how long the carrier will be in maintenance after this last deployment, and if the Nimitz could manage another cruise. The Navy thus faces a difficult decision with the Nimitz. Retire it and go down to ten carriers for a year, or keep it in business for another bite at the apple.
ARABIAN SEA (May 24, 2012) The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) transits the Arabian Sea. Abraham Lincoln is deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility conducting maritime security operations, theater security cooperation efforts and support missions as part of Operation Enduring Freedom. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Amanda L. Kilpatrick/Released)
I incline to support a life extension for the Nimitz for another one to two years. The threat environment is too extensive to retire in 2026. If the United States is going to keep a carrier in the Western Hemisphere for long periods, and it looks like it will, then that leaves other regions short one flat-top to patrol the world’s oceans.
There are just too many geopolitical risks to go down to ten carriers until the Kennedy is ready. America’s ability to project power and deter enemies hangs in the balance, and the Nimitz could squeeze just one more deployment to allow the Navy some more coverage and control in various regions.
DF-15B missile from China
The USS Nimitz may not be retired just yet, and that would be a shot in the arm to those who believe that carrier strength is one of the most critical aspects of the Navy.
About the Author: Brent M. Eastwood
Author of now over 3,000 articles on defense issues, Brent M. Eastwood, PhD is the author of Don’t Turn Your Back On the World: a Conservative Foreign Policy and Humans, Machines, and Data: Future Trends in Warfare plus two other books. Brent was the founder and CEO of a tech firm that predicted world events using artificial intelligence. He served as a legislative fellow for US Senator Tim Scott and advised the senator on defense and foreign policy issues. He has taught at American University, George Washington University, and George Mason University. Brent is a former US Army Infantry officer. He can be followed on X @BMEastwood.
