Aircraft Carriers 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

A Third U.S. Aircraft Carrier Is Heading to the Iran War — It’s Not an Escalation Signal, It’s a Sign America Is Running Out of Options

The Three Aircraft Carrier Calculus: USS George H.W. Bush Joins Operation Epic Fury The USS George H.W. Bush (CVN-77) is preparing to deploy from...

Harrison KassMarch 22, 2026

USS Intrepid of the Essex-Class Aircraft Carriers

Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security

Forget the Ford-Class: The Essex-Class Aircraft Carriers Are the U.S. Navy’s Best ‘Flattops’ Ever

Christian D. Orr explores the storied legacy of the Essex-class aircraft carriers, the most numerous class of capital ships in the 20th century. Known...

Christian D. OrrMarch 22, 2026

MANCHESTER, Wash. (November 3, 2017) USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) transits Elliott Bay with Seattle in the background as it gets underway from Naval Base Kitsap's Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility. Stennis is underway conducting training as it continues preparing for its next scheduled deployment. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Vaughan Dill/Released)

The Embassy

Aircraft Carrier USS John C. Stennis Won’t Be Ready to Deploy Until 2027 — 5.5 Years in the Shipyard and the U.S. Navy Is Still at War

The 5.5-Year Overhaul: Why Aircraft Carrier USS John C. Stennis is Sidelined Until 2027 The prolonged overhaul of the USS John C. Stennis is...

Kris OsbornMarch 22, 2026

ATLANTIC OCEAN (June 4, 2020) The Ford-class aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) and the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) transit the Atlantic Ocean, June 4, 2020, marking the first time a Ford-class and a Nimitz-class aircraft carrier have operated together underway. Gerald R. Ford is underway conducting integrated air wing operations and the Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group remains at sea in the Atlantic Ocean as a certified carrier strike group force ready for tasking in order to protect the crew from the risks posed by COVID-19, following their successful deployment to the U.S. 5th and 6th Fleet areas of operation. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Ruben Reed/Released

Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security

The U.S. Navy Keeps 11 Aircraft Carriers So 3 Can Always Be in Dry Dock — The Iran War Just Broke That Math

Cracking the Hull: The Precise Engineering of Nuclear Aircraft Carrier Refueling Refueling a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier is among the most complex industrial tasks in...

Kris OsbornMarch 22, 2026

USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) conducts high-speed turns in the Atlantic Ocean. Ford is at sea conducting sea trials following the in port portion of its 15 month post-shakedown availability. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Connor Loessin)

Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security

USS Gerald R. Ford’s Laundry Fire Was So Bad the Navy Had to Strip 1,000 Mattresses From America’s Next Aircraft Carrier to Replace Them

The Crete Pivot and the Fire: Why the USS Gerald R. Ford Aircraft Carrier is Leaving the Red Sea The USS Gerald R. Ford...

Christian D. OrrMarch 21, 2026

MEDITERRANEAN SEA (Jan. 22, 2021 The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Gravely (DDG 107) breaks away from the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) following a replenishment-at-sea exercise, Jan. 22, 2022. The Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group is on a scheduled deployment in the U.S. Sixth Fleet area of operations in support of naval operations to maintain maritime stability and security, and defend U.S., allied and partner interests in Europe and Africa. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Bela Chambers)

Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security

11 Aircraft Carriers on Paper, Only 3-5 ‘Combat Ready’: The Iran War Is Exposing the U.S. Navy’s Supercarrier Force at the Breaking Point

Brandon J. Weichert analyzes the U.S. Navy’s systemic "force-structure crunch" as Operation Epic Fury strains a brittle aircraft carrier fleet. With the USS Gerald...

Brandon WeichertMarch 21, 2026

(July 8, 2012) The aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73) conducts an early morning replenishment at sea with the George Washington Strike Group. George Washington is forward deployed to Yokosuka, Japan, and is underway in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of responsibility. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Paul Kelly/Released) .

Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security

2,117 Days in the Shipyard: Nuclear Aircraft Carrier USS George Washington’s 6-Year U.S. Navy Mess

The struggle to return the aircraft carrier USS George Washington to the flight line highlights a systemic issue: the U.S. Navy is currently operating...

Jack BuckbyMarch 20, 2026

ATLANTIC OCEAN (Oct. 29, 2019) USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) conducts high-speed turns in the Atlantic Ocean. Ford is at sea conducting sea trials following the in port portion of its 15 month post-shakedown availability. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Connor Loessin)

Trillions - 19FortyFive

U.S. Navy Nuclear Aircraft Carrier USS Gerald R. Ford Might Be Out of Action for 14 Months

Could the USS Gerald R. Ford Be Sidelined for A Year Or More? The U.S. Navy’s newest aircraft carrier, USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78),...

Jack BuckbyMarch 20, 2026

Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security

The U.S. Navy Is Running Out of Nuclear Aircraft Carriers: USS Harry S. Truman Out of Action for 5 Years

The scheduled withdrawal of the USS Harry S. Truman (CVN-75) in June 2026 marks a high-stakes transition for the U.S. Navy. As the aircraft...

Jack BuckbyMarch 20, 2026

USS Midway Midway-Class Aircraft Carrier

Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security

The U.S. Navy Built 3 Midway-Class Aircraft Carriers After WWII — One Lasted 47 Years, Fought in Vietnam, and Was Still Launching Jets in Desert Storm

The Midway-class represents the pivotal evolutionary step that transformed the U.S. Navy from a propeller-driven fleet into the jet-age supercarrier force that currently dominates...

Isaac SeitzMarch 20, 2026

19FortyFive

All posts tagged "Aircraft Carriers"

Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security

A Third U.S. Aircraft Carrier Is Heading to the Iran War — It’s Not an Escalation Signal, It’s a Sign America Is Running Out of Options

Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security

Forget the Ford-Class: The Essex-Class Aircraft Carriers Are the U.S. Navy’s Best ‘Flattops’ Ever

The Embassy

Aircraft Carrier USS John C. Stennis Won’t Be Ready to Deploy Until 2027 — 5.5 Years in the Shipyard and the U.S. Navy Is Still at War

Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security

The U.S. Navy Keeps 11 Aircraft Carriers So 3 Can Always Be in Dry Dock — The Iran War Just Broke That Math

Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security

USS Gerald R. Ford’s Laundry Fire Was So Bad the Navy Had to Strip 1,000 Mattresses From America’s Next Aircraft Carrier to Replace Them

Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security

11 Aircraft Carriers on Paper, Only 3-5 ‘Combat Ready’: The Iran War Is Exposing the U.S. Navy’s Supercarrier Force at the Breaking Point

Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security

2,117 Days in the Shipyard: Nuclear Aircraft Carrier USS George Washington’s 6-Year U.S. Navy Mess

Trillions - 19FortyFive

U.S. Navy Nuclear Aircraft Carrier USS Gerald R. Ford Might Be Out of Action for 14 Months

Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security

The U.S. Navy Is Running Out of Nuclear Aircraft Carriers: USS Harry S. Truman Out of Action for 5 Years

Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security

The U.S. Navy Built 3 Midway-Class Aircraft Carriers After WWII — One Lasted 47 Years, Fought in Vietnam, and Was Still Launching Jets in Desert Storm

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