Just days after beginning its voyage toward Naval Station Norfolk on the East Coast of the United States, the U.S. Navy’s nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Nimitz continues sailing through Pacific waters as it heads toward circumnavigating South America. Although it had been thought that this would be one of its final operational deployments after more than fifty years of service, recent reports indicated that the lead ship of the Nimitz class will continue operating for several more months, with a potential new retirement date projected for 2027.
For that reason, after departing from Naval Base Kitsap-Bremerton in Washington State on March 7 and completing a recent stop in San Diego, USS Nimitz is now sailing in the Pacific while conducting operations and exercises with part of its embarked air wing.
In particular, and according to what was released by the service, on March 16 EA-18G Growler electronic attack aircraft assigned to Electronic Attack Squadron 139 “Cougars” conducted flight operations on the ship’s deck.
Operations were also carried out with the embarked MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopters of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 6 “Indians.”
However, operations aboard the aircraft carrier were not limited solely to the operation and deployment of embarked aircraft, but also focused on the ship’s point-defense systems, including live-fire drills carried out by the Phalanx Mk 15 CIWS systems.
Lastly, as it approaches South American waters, the expectation generated by the presence and transit of USS Nimitz is palpable among the region’s navies, which are seeking to move forward with PASSEX-type exercises with the aircraft carrier, similar to those conducted in 2024, when USS George Washington was the protagonist of the Southern Seas deployment as part of a broader deployment that took it to Japan.
Photographs: United States Navy (US Navy).
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