Aircraft Carrier Archives

The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77) and the Henry J. Kaiser-class fleet replenishment oiler USNS John Lenthall (TAO 189) transfer cargo and JP-5 during a replenishment at sea in the Atlantic Ocean, Feb. 15, 2026. The George H.W. Bush Carrier Strike Group is at sea training as an integrated warfighting team. Composite Training Unit Exercise (COMPTUEX) is the Joint Force’s most complex integrated training event and prepares naval task forces for sustained high-end Joint and combined combat. Integrated naval training provides combatant commanders and America’s civilian leaders highly capable forces that deter adversaries, underpin American security and economic prosperity, and reassure Allies and partners. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Mitchell Mason)

Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security

The U.S. Navy’s Great Aircraft Carrier Shortage: Why Nuclear Supercarrier USS Nimitz Must Be Retired

Harrison Kass, an attorney and former Air Force pilot selectee, evaluates the "inevitable sunset" of the USS Nimitz (CVN-68) as it prepares for its...

Harrison KassMarch 11, 2026

The Nimitz class aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68) passes by a Washington State Ferry as it transits Puget Sound during the ship’s final departure from Naval Base Kitsap-Bremerton, Washington, March 7, 2026. Nimitz is underway in the U.S. 3rd Fleet area of operations as part of a scheduled homeport shift to Norfolk, Virginia. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Kimberli Ibarra Ruiz)

Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security

Nuclear Aircraft Carrier USS Nimitz Is Getting One Last Chance to Prove Itself

Jack Buckby, a New York-based defense analyst and British researcher, evaluates the unusual "final act" of the USS Nimitz (CVN-68) as it transits to...

Jack BuckbyMarch 10, 2026

The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77) sails in the Atlantic Ocean, Feb. 6, 2026. The George H.W. Bush Carrier Strike Group is at sea as an integrated warfighting team. Composite Training Unit Exercise (COMPTUEX) is the Joint Force’s most complex integrated training event and prepares naval task forces for sustained high-end Joint and combined combat. Integrated naval training provides combatant commanders and America’s civilian leaders highly capable forces that deter adversaries, underpin American security and economic prosperity, and reassure Allies and partners. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class John R. Farren)

Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security

Forget Iran’s Missiles: The Houthis Might Try Again to Sink a U.S. Navy Aircraft Carrier

Dr. Brent M. Eastwood, a former U.S. Army Infantry officer and tech CEO, evaluates the "Goliath vs. David" showdown between the U.S. Navy and...

Brent M. EastwoodMarch 9, 2026

U.S. 5TH FLEET AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY (Jan. 5, 2012) The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) operates in the Arabian Sea during sunset. John C. Stennis is deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility conducting maritime security operations, theater security cooperation efforts and support missions for Operation Enduring Freedom. (U.S. Navy photo by Yeoman 3rd Class James Stahl/Released)

Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security

China’s New Aircraft Carrier Fleet Has 1 Big Advantage over the Navy They Can’t Match Now

Brandon J. Weichert, a senior national security editor and author, evaluates the end of the U.S. Navy’s "era of impunity" in the Indo-Pacific. The...

Brandon WeichertMarch 9, 2026

The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77) transits the Atlantic Ocean, Feb. 15, 2026. The George H.W. Bush Carrier Strike Group is at sea training as an integrated warfighting team. Composite Training Unit Exercise (COMPTUEX) is the Joint Force’s most complex integrated training event and prepares naval task forces for sustained high-end Joint and combined combat. Integrated naval training provides combatant commanders and America’s civilian leaders highly capable forces that deter adversaries, underpin American security and economic prosperity, and reassure Allies and partners. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Mitchell Mason)

Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security

The U.S. Navy Has a New Nimitz-Class Nuclear Aircraft Carrier Headache It Can’t Fix

The USS Nimitz (CVN-68), the world’s oldest active aircraft carrier, faces a 2026 decommissioning that many argue creates a dangerous "Nimitz-class Gap" amidst the...

Jack BuckbyMarch 7, 2026

Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security

$6,000,000,000 Nuclear U.S. Navy Aircraft Carrier Was ‘Sunk’ By $100,000,000 Diesel Stealth AIP Sub from Sweden

This report analyzes how Air-Independent Propulsion (AIP) and shallow-water acoustics allow regional powers like China and Iran to impose "caution" on U.S. aircraft carrier...

Andrew LathamMarch 6, 2026

Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security

J-35 Stealth Fighters and 120,000 Ton Supercarriers: China’s Navy Has 1 Mission

Summary and Key Points: National security columnist Steve Balestrieri evaluates the People’s Liberation Army Navy’s (PLAN) rapid aircraft carrier expansion. The goal: become the...

Steve BalestrieriMarch 5, 2026

The aircraft carrier USS George Washington sails through calm seas near Guam at sunset while under way in the Pacific Ocean, Sept. 8, 2012. The George Washington is the centerpiece of Carrier Strike Group 5, the US Navy’s only continuously forward deployed carrier strike group, based out of Yokosuka, Japan. Carrier Strike Group 5 is currently on a routine Western Pacific patrol. Image Credit: Creative Commons.

Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security

Iran’s Military Dream Is Impossible: Sinking a U.S. Navy Aircraft Carrier with a Missile ‘Saturation’ Strike

The escalation of Operation Epic Fury has reached a fever pitch, with U.S. forces executing over 900 strikes in a single 24-hour window. As...

Rebecca GrantMarch 2, 2026

A MH-60S Seahawk helicopter assigned to the “Nightdippers” of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 5 delivers cargo to the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush (CVN-77) during a vertical replenishment in the Atlantic Ocean, Feb. 15, 2026. The George H.W. Bush Carrier Strike Group is at sea training as an integrated warfighting team. Composite Training Unit Exercise (COMPTUEX) is the Joint Force’s most complex integrated training event and prepares naval task forces for sustained high-end Joint and combined combat. Integrated naval training provides combatant commanders and America’s civilian leaders highly capable forces that deter adversaries, underpin American security and economic prosperity, and reassure Allies and partners. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Mitchell Mason)

Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security

‘Significant Mechanical Degradation’: The Navy Just Lost Another Nuclear Supercarrier

Summary and Key Points: Dr. Brent M. Eastwood, a defense analyst and former US Army Infantry officer, evaluates the critical delays affecting the USS...

Brent M. EastwoodFebruary 28, 2026

Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security

B-2 Stealth Bombers and U.S. Navy Aircraft Carriers are Now Joining Forces with Gunslinger Missiles

Summary and Key Points: Steve Balestrieri, a former US Army Special Forces officer and national security columnist, analyzes the February 2026 integration of the...

Steve BalestrieriFebruary 28, 2026

19FortyFive

All posts tagged "Aircraft Carrier"

Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security

The U.S. Navy’s Great Aircraft Carrier Shortage: Why Nuclear Supercarrier USS Nimitz Must Be Retired

Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security

Nuclear Aircraft Carrier USS Nimitz Is Getting One Last Chance to Prove Itself

Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security

Forget Iran’s Missiles: The Houthis Might Try Again to Sink a U.S. Navy Aircraft Carrier

Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security

China’s New Aircraft Carrier Fleet Has 1 Big Advantage over the Navy They Can’t Match Now

Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security

The U.S. Navy Has a New Nimitz-Class Nuclear Aircraft Carrier Headache It Can’t Fix

Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security

$6,000,000,000 Nuclear U.S. Navy Aircraft Carrier Was ‘Sunk’ By $100,000,000 Diesel Stealth AIP Sub from Sweden

Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security

J-35 Stealth Fighters and 120,000 Ton Supercarriers: China’s Navy Has 1 Mission

Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security

Iran’s Military Dream Is Impossible: Sinking a U.S. Navy Aircraft Carrier with a Missile ‘Saturation’ Strike

Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security

‘Significant Mechanical Degradation’: The Navy Just Lost Another Nuclear Supercarrier

Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security

B-2 Stealth Bombers and U.S. Navy Aircraft Carriers are Now Joining Forces with Gunslinger Missiles

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