The U.S. Navy’s oldest active aircraft carrier, USS Nimitz (CVN-68), has embarked on its final operational deployment, sailing into the South China Sea amid growing Chinese naval activity and territorial disputes.
Operating about 230 kilometers northeast of Malaysia’s Great Natuna Island, the carrier leads Carrier Strike Group 11 (CSG-11) in an area increasingly patrolled by Chinese vessels. U.S. Navy officials confirmed that this will be the last deployment of the Nimitz before deactivation procedures begin in 2026, marking the end of more than fifty years of service.
Throughout her distinguished career, Nimitz has played key roles in Operation Desert Storm, the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, and numerous maritime security missions. The vessel has long been a cornerstone of U.S. power projection and freedom of navigation operations across the globe.
CSG-11, commanded by Rear Admiral Maximilian Clark, includes the guided-missile cruisers USS Lake Erie (CG-70) and USS Princeton (CG-59), several Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, and Carrier Air Wing 17, which brings together F/A-18E/F Super Hornets, EA-18G Growlers, E-2D Hawkeyes, and MH-60R/S Seahawks. This configuration allows for integrated air, surface, and subsurface operations.
The group’s deployment underscores Washington’s ongoing commitment to maintaining freedom of navigation and regional stability amid rising Chinese militarization of the Spratly and Paracel Islands, where Beijing has built airstrips, radar facilities, and missile batteries.
Commissioned in 1975, the USS Nimitz displaces about 100,000 tons, measures 332 meters in length, and is powered by two Westinghouse A4W nuclear reactors, giving it a top speed of over 31 knots and near-unlimited range between refueling cycles.
Following this final mission, Nimitz is expected to return to Naval Station Norfolk by April 2026, beginning preparations for deactivation in 2027. Before that, the carrier will participate in several multinational exercises with regional allies, reinforcing maritime interoperability and crisis response in contested waters.
As the Navy transitions to the new Ford-class carriers, the Nimitz’s last deployment stands as both the end of an era and a clear message: the United States remains firmly committed to upholding open seas and deterring coercion in the Indo-Pacific.
