Aircraft Carrier Archives

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

The world’s largest aircraft carrier, USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78), transits the Strait of Gibraltar, Oct. 1, 2025. Gerald R. Ford, a first-in-class aircraft carrier and deployed flagship of Carrier Strike Group Twelve, is on a scheduled deployment in the U.S. 6th Fleet area of operations to support the warfighting effectiveness, lethality and readiness of U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa, and defend U.S., Allied and partner interests in the region. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Apprentice Alyssa Joy)

Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security

Psychology Suggests U.S. Navy Aircraft Carrier Crew of USS Gerald R. Ford Might Suffer Mental Health Issues from Record Deployment

The USS Gerald R. Ford is being pushed into another Middle East mission after an extended deployment that has already stretched past 230 days....

Brandon WeichertFebruary 27, 2026

Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security

Why 2 Navy Aircraft Carriers Aren’t Just a Warning for Iran’s Missile Force

Synopsis: Dr. Rebecca Grant, Vice President of the Lexington Institute, evaluates the massive U.S. military deployment centered on Iran’s ballistic missile infrastructure. -As of...

Rebecca GrantFebruary 27, 2026

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. (Oct. 25, 2019) USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) gets underway for the first time since beginning its post-shakedown availability July 2018. Ford is currently conducting sea trials, a comprehensive test of the ship's systems and technologies. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Connor Loessin)

Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security

The U.S. Navy’s New Nuclear Aircraft Carrier Looks Powerful – But It Has Major Problems

Summary and Key Points: Harrison Kass, a national security analyst and former US Air Force pilot selectee, evaluates the USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78)...

Harrison KassFebruary 27, 2026

A Sailor assigned to the Zumwalt-class guided missile destroyer USS Michael Monsoor (DDG 1001) reunites with a family member following routine operations in the U.S. 3rd, and 7th Fleet areas of operations to maintain a free and open Indo-Pacific, Oct. 3. An integral part of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, U.S. 3rd Fleet leads naval forces in the Indo-Pacific and provides the realistic, relevant training necessary to execute the U.S. Navy's role across the full spectrum of military operations. U.S. 3rd Fleet works together with allies and partners to advance freedom of navigation and overflight, the rule of law and other principles that underpin security for the Indo-Pacific region. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Lordin Kelly)

Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security

‘I Am So Lonely’: Psychology Suggests U.S. Navy Sailors Are Confronting a Loneliness Crisis as Long Deployments Take a Serious Toll

Summary and Key Points: Stephen Silver, an award-winning national security journalist, examines the psychological impact of the USS Gerald R. Ford’s extended deployment. -With...

Stephen SilverFebruary 26, 2026

19FortyFive

All posts tagged "Aircraft Carrier"

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

Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security

Psychology Suggests U.S. Navy Aircraft Carrier Crew of USS Gerald R. Ford Might Suffer Mental Health Issues from Record Deployment

Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security

Why 2 Navy Aircraft Carriers Aren’t Just a Warning for Iran’s Missile Force

Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security

The U.S. Navy’s New Nuclear Aircraft Carrier Looks Powerful – But It Has Major Problems

Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security

‘I Am So Lonely’: Psychology Suggests U.S. Navy Sailors Are Confronting a Loneliness Crisis as Long Deployments Take a Serious Toll

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