The USS Nimitz, the oldest aircraft carrier in the US Navy, has made a port call at the frontline US territory of Guam, on what is likely to be its final Indo-Pacific deployment ahead of its deactivation and decommissioning scheduled next year.
The USS Nimitz (CVN 68), flagship of Carrier Strike Group (CSG 11), was accompanied by destroyers USS Gridley (DDG 101) and USS Lenah Sutcliffe Higbee (DDG 123) as it called on the Guam port on April 18.
“The Nimitz Carrier Strike Group’s arrival in Guam highlights the island’s vital role as a strategic outpost in the Western Pacific—essential for projecting power, deterring adversaries, and responding to crises across the Indo-Pacific,” said Rear Adm. Maximilian Clark, the Commander of the Carrier Strike Group 11.
The port call at Guam is noteworthy given the strategic significance of Guam in America’s Indo-Pacific and China policy.
A linchpin of the Pentagon’s Indo-Pacific strategy, Guam is expected to play a crucial role in any potential conflict between the United States and China in the future. It is home to ports that are considered vital for supporting the operations of aircraft carriers and nuclear submarines, among other naval missions.
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Guam is believed to be used as a launchpad by US fighters and bombers in case of a conflict. Moreover, it is a crucial strategic site for homeland defense, as it enables the US to repel enemies, respond to emergencies, and maintain an open and free Indo-Pacific. Thus, making the USS Nimitz’s port call to Guam even more significant.
The USS Nimitz Carrier Strike Group (CSG) departed the Naval Air Station in San Diego Bay in late March 2025 after the USS Carl Vinson was reassigned from Indo-Pacific to the Middle East in the wake of hostilities with the Houthis.
Previously, the last time the USS Nimitz was deployed to Guam was in 2023. The carrier was deployed to the Western Pacific for seven months, during which it achieved several significant milestones, including completing 350,000 plane landings while sailing in the South China Sea.
The carrier also conducted drills with allies and partners, including India and Japan. It also participated in the US Indo-Pacific Command’s Large-Scale Global Exercise and assisted with relief efforts in Guam after Super Typhoon Mawar struck the island.
The current deployment of the USS Nimitz to Guam is believed to be its last to the Indo-Pacific. After being relieved from this deployment, the USS Nimitz will relocate to its homeport at Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia, in 2026, ahead of its scheduled decommissioning.
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The Oldest Carrier In the US Navy
USS Nimitz is the first in a class of ten nuclear-powered aircraft carriers built on the same design. It bears the name of Chester Nimitz, a former five-star admiral who led the Navy during World War II. The USS Nimitz was inducted into service on May 3, 1975, by former American President Gerald Ford.
The USS Nimitz Carrier Strike Group typically comprises the Destroyer Squadron 9 (DESRON 9) and Carrier Air Wing 17 (CVW-17). DESRON 9 consists of four Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyers: the USS Curtis Wilbur (DDG 54), USS Gridley (DDG 101), USS Wayne E. Meyer (DDG 108), and USS Lenah Sutcliffe Higbee (DDG 123).
The air wing comprises the F/A-18E Super Hornet and F/A-18F Super Hornet, EA-18G Growler, and E-2D Hawkeyes. It also carries MH-60S and MH-60R Seahawks, as well as the C-2A Greyhound. During testing, the Nimitz did witness F-35Cs landing on its deck. However, Nimitz has not made an operational deployment with the F-35C.
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The Nimitz-class carriers are the oldest aircraft carriers in service with the US Navy and are expected to be gradually replaced by the new Ford-class aircraft carriers.
The USS Nimitz, the oldest of its class, has served the US Navy for nearly five decades, enhancing its combat capabilities and undertaking a range of critical missions. It will be the first of the ten Nimitz-class carriers to be retired.
The Nimitz-class aircraft carriers, powered by two nuclear reactors, typically have a lifespan of approximately 50 years, which means they are nearing the end of their service life. Notably, the carrier’s life was extended by 13 months to keep it operational until 2026.
The USS Nimitz has been the symbol of US power projection in the far seas, despite being the oldest carrier in the US Navy fleet. The Nimitz participated in freedom of navigation exercises within the South China Sea last year as tensions with Beijing escalated and regional instability rose. Before that, the carrier completed a historic 340-day deployment between April 2020 and February 2021.
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Over the roughly 50 years of service, the Nimitz has experienced several fatal accidents on its deck. Two of the most significant incidents include the crash of an EA-6B Prowler in 1981, which resulted in the deaths of 14 sailors and dozens of injuries, and the crash of an A3 Skywarrior bomber in 1987, which claimed the lives of seven people.
Previous plans called for the retirement of the USS Nimitz by 2025 and the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower in 2026. However, the decommissioning date of the USS Nimitz was delayed by a year due to delays in the commissioning of Ford-class carriers.
At the time, the Navy stated that there was an increased need for aircraft carriers to respond to global crises, such as the current tensions in the Red Sea and the Indo-Pacific region, including the South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait.
“Nuclear-powered aircraft carriers, which will remain the most survivable and versatile airfields in the world, provide long-range, persistent sea control, power projection and organic sensing in contested seas, as well as flexible options across the spectrum of conflict,” the Navy’s shipbuilding plan released in 2023 stated.
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As the aircraft carrier heads for its retirement, Nimitz and its more than 3,000-person crew will relocate to Norfolk in April 2026, as per a previous notice. The aircraft will finally be retired a month later, in May 2026. “Please be advised that the USS Nimitz (CVN-68) will homeport shift from Bremerton, Washington, to Norfolk, Virginia [effective] April 12, 2026,” reads the Navy’s notice to Congress.
After arriving in Virginia, the massive ship will proceed to the yard of Huntington Ingalls Inc. (HII), where the company will start the process of deactivating the carrier and removing the nuclear fuel.
The process of deactivating the carrier was initiated last year, with the U.S. Naval Sea Systems Command awarding HII a US$18.4 million contract to manage the initial planning for deactivating the nuclear power reactors on the Nimitz.
