The nuclear aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN-68) of the United States Navy (US Navy) has begun the final phase of its last deployment in the Pacific after departing Pearl Harbor and setting course for the U.S. mainland, the service confirmed. This is a key step in the deactivation and retirement process of the lead ship of the Nimitz class, which is preparing to conclude more than five decades of service in which it played a central role in multiple scenarios supporting U.S. foreign policy.
The stopover in Hawaii marked a midpoint in its itinerary after an extensive Indo-Pacific deployment that included operations in the South China Sea amid growing tension between China and the Philippines over the Scarborough Shoal. The Nimitz’s departure from Pearl Harbor opened the final leg of its journey, which will include a stop in San Diego before continuing to Bremerton, Washington, where the retirement process will formally begin.
A deployment shaped by multiple strategic environments
The Nimitz’s final mission began in March, when it departed San Diego Bay to begin operations under the Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM) area of responsibility and deploy from its forward base in Yokosuka, Japan. During 2025, the carrier was temporarily redirected to the Middle East to replace USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70), supporting the 5th Fleet’s maritime security operations at a moment of heightened tension resulting from the conflict between Israel and Iran.
After that rotation and an official visit to Bahrain, USS Nimitz set course for the South China Sea, where it led naval presence operations, escort missions, antisurface exercises, and embarked air missions together with surface units composing its carrier strike group. It is relevant to mention that upon reaching the region, the ship operated close to the area where recovery efforts were underway for an F/A-18 Super Hornet and an MH-60R Seahawk helicopter, both assigned to the carrier and lost in incidents occurring only thirty minutes apart.
Regional dynamics and the relief by USS George Washington
The return of USS Nimitz also coincided with the deployment of USS George Washington (CVN-73), which temporarily assumed forward presence in the South China Sea. However, CVN-73 recently departed for the island of Guam, leaving the region without an operational U.S. aircraft carrier—an unusual situation given the sensitivity and strategic importance of the area.
The long road toward decommissioning Nimitz CVN-68
The Nimitz’s return to the United States marks the beginning of a transition process the Navy has been preparing since 2024. The retirement of the nuclear-powered ship—333 meters long and displacing 100,000 tons—requires complex planning involving technical, industrial, and budgetary considerations.
According to Navy documentation, the decommissioning process will unfold in three main stages: inactivation, reactor compartment disposal, and ship recycling. It is also important to note that many systems removed from CVN-68 will be used as a source of spare parts for active units or to strengthen the supply chain for the remaining Nimitz-class carriers still in service.
The transition to the new Gerald R. Ford class
The retirement of USS Nimitz will also mark a symbolic milestone in the renewal of the U.S. Navy’s surface fleet and strategic power-projection capabilities, as the Gerald R. Ford-class nuclear aircraft carriers progressively replace older ships, while other Nimitz-class carriers continue operating according to their planned maintenance and deployment cycles.
Finally, as it continues sailing toward the West Coast with no publicly announced arrival date, the retirement of CVN-68—scheduled to begin in 2026 under the responsibility of Newport News Shipbuilding—will bring to a close the operational history of the first nuclear aircraft carrier of its class, in service since 1975 and a participant in multiple missions, deployments, and operations over the course of half a century.
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