The USS Dwight D. Eisenhower aircraft carrier has been engaged in battling Houthi rebel attacks on shipping in the Red Sea for nearly nine months. As the Navy considers what to do about the ship, the key question is how to replicate its combat power if it returns home. The Navy currently has 11 nuclear-powered aircraft carriers, with a typical lifespan of about 50 years. When halfway through their lifespan, carriers undergo a major overhaul of their nuclear and other systems, which can take several years.
At present, the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower is based in Norfolk, Virginia, and stationed in the Red Sea. The carrier left Norfolk in October 2023 and has been extended twice due to its involvement in combat operations. The USS George Washington is currently off the coast of Chile and is traveling from Norfolk to San Diego before heading to Japan for deployment, where it will replace the USS Ronald Reagan. The USS Theodore Roosevelt is based in San Diego and has been deployed in the Indo-Pacific Command since January, currently operating in the South China Sea.
The USS Ronald Reagan, which has been deployed in Japan, is patrolling the Philippine Sea and will eventually make its way to San Diego. The USS Harry S. Truman is based off the coast of Norfolk and is currently in pre-deployment workups, expected to deploy in October or November. The USS Carl Vinson is in port in San Diego, preparing for deployment after participating in the Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise in July. Additionally, the USS Abraham Lincoln, based in San Diego, has completed its training exercises and will deploy to Pacific Command in July.
In terms of carriers undergoing repairs, the USS George H. W. Bush entered maintenance in December, while the USS Gerald R. Ford recently returned from deployment and is now undergoing maintenance that is expected to last about a year. The USS John C. Stennis entered a major refueling complex overhaul (RCOH) in May 2021, a process that can take up to four years. It is anticipated to return to duty in 2025. The USS Nimitz went into maintenance in October 2023 and will move on to workups later this year. The PCU John F. Kennedy will be delivered to the Navy next year.
