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12/23/2025, 1:26:58 PM
USS Nimitz (CVN-68), the oldest US Navy aircraft carrier, returned to Bremerton, Washington, on December 16 after its final operational deployment of nearly nine months, which included missions in the 3rd, 5th, and 7th Fleet areas.
Interestingly, USS Nimitz, commissioned in 1975, is currently deployed as the flagship of the Nimitz Carrier Strike Group, having commenced its deployment in March from San Diego Bay.
After offloading parts of the strike group and Carrier Air Wing 17 in San Diego, the carrier sailed to Bremerton, marking what is anticipated as its final return to the port.
During the deployment, the strike group spent approximately three months in the Indo-Pacific and nearly four months under US Central Command, traveling over 82,000 nautical miles.
According to the US Navy, the mission focused on maintaining deterrence, collaborating with allied forces, and supporting stability in key maritime regions. While in the US 5th Fleet area, USS Nimitz upheld freedom of navigation in the Arabian Sea and conducted four transits of the Strait of Hormuz.
Additionally, the strike group assisted US Central Command to promote regional stability and facilitate the Iran–Israel ceasefire, while also supporting US Africa Command by executing strikes on ISIS targets in Somalia.
Likewise, USS Nimitz visited Bahrain, Oman, and the UAE during its operations in the Middle East, marking the first US aircraft carrier calls to Bahrain and the UAE in over five years.
Maritime Training Courses cover Shipping Management, worldwide shipping routes, port operations, logistics, and fleet management. Further, understanding the operation of aircraft carriers alongside commercial ships reveals the strategic intersection of naval power and shipping security.
During this period, the strike group conducted leadership exchanges and joint activities with naval forces from various countries, including Bahrain, UAE, France, India, Malaysia, Oman, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar. The USS Nimitz supported 7th Fleet operations to ensure a free and open Indo-Pacific, reaffirming US commitment to regional partners.
Besides, the carrier participated in the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition (LIMA 2025) and visited ports in Malaysia and Guam, where sailors engaged in leadership meetings, community outreach, sporting events, and cultural exchanges.
The deployment showcased the strike group's ability for extended operations and the crew's readiness, with USS Nimitz completing over 8,500 sorties, logging 17,000 flight hours, and conducting 50 replenishments at sea.
The final deployment faced significant challenges, including the disappearance of a sailor during the carrier’s first port call in Guam, leading to a five-day search effort by the US Navy.
Subsequently, on 26 October, an F/A-18F Super Hornet and an MH-60R Seahawk helicopter from the strike group crashed into the sea about 30 minutes apart. The crews were rescued, and the aircraft were recovered in early December.
USS Nimitz participated in operations with a Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force destroyer in the Philippine Sea, transited the Malacca Strait, and visited Malaysia before entering the South China Sea. In June, it relocated to the Middle East to work alongside the Carl Vinson Carrier Strike Group.
Furthermore, the Nimitz group arrived in the region the same day the US executed strikes on three Iranian nuclear sites during Operation Midnight Hammer. While the Carl Vinson strike group left in July, Nimitz stayed for several weeks longer.
After its Middle East deployment, Nimitz transited the Singapore Strait back to the Indo-Pacific for the remainder of its mission, making a port call at Pearl Harbour before heading to Bremerton.
The Nimitz Carrier Strike Group includes USS Nimitz, Carrier Strike Group 11 staff, Destroyer Squadron 9, Carrier Air Wing 17, and several Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers. Upon returning to Bremerton, USS Nimitz will ultimately head to the US East Coast for decommissioning.
