Here is our weekly tracker on U.S. aircraft carriers and amphibious groups, summarizing deployed Carrier Strike Groups and Amphibious Ready Groups based on open-source updates.
U.S. aircraft carriers tracker and deployments
USS George Washington anchored off Da Nang, Vietnam, on July 30 for a five-day port call. The carrier transited into the South China Sea the week prior and operated southwest of Luzon, Philippines, from July 24 to 28. It is the fourth visit by a U.S. carrier to Vietnam since relations were normalized in 1995 and the first since 2023. Crew members hosted public tours and joined community events. Guided-missile cruiser USS Robert Smalls and destroyer USS Shoup arrived with the carrier.
“While our ship represents the high-end capabilities of the U.S. Navy, our visit here to Vietnam supports a U.S.-Vietnam relationship that continues to grow stronger,” Capt. Nicholas DeLeo, George Washington’s commanding officer, said. He added that personal connections help build trust for a peaceful and prosperous region.
The Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Strike Group returned to Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on July 28 after completing the at-sea phase of Rim of the Pacific 2026. The exercise concluded July 31 and brought together 30 nations, 30,000 personnel, 30 surface ships, five submarines, and nearly 200 aircraft to conduct 2,400 sorties and tackle 5,000 scenario-based problems.
“No single nation can ensure security in the Pacific alone,” said Vice Adm. Jeff Jablon, commander of the RIMPAC Combined Task Force. He cited the region’s network of allies and partners as an asymmetric advantage that strengthens deterrence and supports the exercise of maritime rights and freedoms.
USS Theodore Roosevelt departed Pearl Harbor over the weekend and is returning to San Diego before deployment. It is expected to relieve the Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group in the Middle East depending on near-term developments in talks with Iran. Fewer than two weeks remain on the 60-day timeline set in the June 17 Memorandum of Understanding between the two countries.
In the Middle East, U.S. forces led by USS Abraham Lincoln and USS George H.W. Bush continue to enforce the U.S. blockade against Iran, according to U.S. Central Command. Officials said 44 commercial vessels have been redirected to date, with two disabled by force and two boarded for compliance checks. The rate of redirections has accelerated, with 27 in the past week compared with 17 in the first two weeks combined.
In released audio, dock landing ship USS Comstock, assigned to the three-ship Boxer Amphibious Ready Group, warned mariners, “If you do not comply, we will compel compliance with force.”
U.S. aircraft carriers in the Middle East
Overall, three U.S. carriers are deployed, three are working up or at homeport, four are in maintenance, and one is assigned to training. One amphibious ready group is deployed, five are training or in port, and three are in maintenance.
Fewer than two weeks remain on the 60-day timeline set in the June 17 Memorandum of Understanding between the two countries, amid ongoing talks with Iran that follow an earlier Iran missile attack that was intercepted. The evolving situation could shape when USS Theodore Roosevelt relieves the Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group in the region.
Positions are general approximations. Non-deployed LHA/LHD amphibious warships are not shown.