As part of its final operational deployment before retirement, USS Nimitz (CVN-68) recently made a port call in Manama, Bahrain, marking the first visit of a U.S. Navy nuclear-powered aircraft carrier since the last recorded one in 2020. The stopover, carried out within the operations of Carrier Strike Group 11 under the U.S. Central Command (USCENTCOM) area of responsibility, holds strategic significance by establishing a forward point for logistical support, command and control, and fleet readiness, with rapid response capability in the Arabian Gulf—one of the most sensitive regions for U.S. interests due to its high geopolitical value, maritime trade routes, and the permanent presence of conflicts.
The nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Nimitz, along with the ships of its Strike Group, has been deployed in the CENTCOM area of operations since mid-June, with the goal of reinforcing the U.S. presence in the Middle East amid the escalation of tensions that led to the air campaign against Iran’s nuclear program. The capital ship is believed to have departed from Naval Air Station North Island (San Diego) with the mission of replacing the carrier strike group led by USS Carl Vinson in the U.S. Seventh Fleet’s area of operations, after the latter was redeployed to the Middle East a few weeks earlier.
The Nimitz Strike Group is composed of the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier itself, along with destroyers USS Curtis Wilbur, USS Lenah Sutcliffe Higbee (DDG-123), and USS Gridley (DDG-101) of Destroyer Squadron 9. Notably, the American carrier is operating with the assets of Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 17.
During its transit toward the Middle East, the carrier took part in military exercises in the Philippine Sea last April. In parallel, China deployed its aircraft carrier Shandong in the same waters to monitor Exercise Balikatan 25, conducted by the U.S. Armed Forces alongside their Philippine counterparts.
Weeks later, the USS Nimitz Strike Group returned to the South China Sea as part of regular U.S. Navy operations, while the People’s Liberation Army Navy’s (PLAN) aircraft carrier Liaoning (CV-16) sailed in Pacific waters.
Finally, it is worth noting that the presence of USS Nimitz in the region marks what will be its final operational mission, with its retirement planned for 2026 according to the U.S. Navy’s aircraft carrier fleet plans, after more than 50 years of service. Once the mission is complete, the ship is expected to return to Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia, where it will await transfer to Newport News Shipyard for dismantling. This process will involve three main stages: inactivation, removal of the nuclear reactor compartment, and recycling. In terms of budget, over $18 million have already been allocated for contractual cost adjustments to carry out the work.
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