This week, Japan announced that a U.S. aircraft carrier will arrive at its home port near Tokyo in mid-to-late November for forward deployment.
Also, two Chinese aircraft carriers were not underway, while another one had sailed into the wider Western Pacific Ocean earlier. This came after the country’s first dual aircraft carrier operation, which was held in the South China Sea.
Meanwhile, a Japanese helicopter destroyer undergoing conversion into a light aircraft carrier has completed its flight tests with U.S. fighter jets in waters off the U.S. West Coast. It and its sister ship will be the country’s first aircraft carriers since World War II.
Newsweek‘s weekly update maps aircraft carrier movements in the strategic Indo-Pacific region. As of November 8, the locations of 10 vessels were publicly available via military disclosures or open-source satellite imagery. The U.S. military has the world’s largest aircraft carrier fleet, with 11 in service. China ranks second with three “flat-tops.”
U.S. Navy
USS George Washington: Western Pacific Ocean
The United States Navy aircraft carrier USS George Washington steams in the Western Pacific Ocean on November 6. It is scheduled to arrive at Yokosuka in Japan for forward deployment in mid-to-late November. The United States Navy aircraft carrier USS George Washington steams in the Western Pacific Ocean on November 6. It is scheduled to arrive at Yokosuka in Japan for forward deployment in mid-to-late November. Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Geoffrey L. Ottinger/U.S. Navy
The George Washington is scheduled to arrive at Yokosuka, in the Greater Tokyo Area of Japan, for forward deployment in mid-to-late November, the Japanese Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday, claiming this is essential to the security of Japan.
Photos published by the U.S. Navy show the aircraft carrier was underway in the Western Pacific Ocean as of Thursday, which is within the Seventh Fleet’s area of operations.
USS Nimitz and USS Ronald Reagan: Eastern Pacific Ocean
The United States Navy aircraft carrier USS Nimitz conducts a close-in weapons system live-fire exercise on November 6, 2024. It was underway in the Eastern Pacific Ocean for routine training operations, the Navy said. The United States Navy aircraft carrier USS Nimitz conducts a close-in weapons system live-fire exercise on November 6, 2024. It was underway in the Eastern Pacific Ocean for routine training operations, the Navy said. Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Hannah Kantner/U.S. Navy
According to a livestreaming webcam in San Diego, California, the Nimitz reached Naval Air Station North Island on November 2 and departed two days later. Photos posted by the U.S. Navy show it held a live-fire exercise in the Eastern Pacific Ocean on Wednesday.
The United States Navy aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan conducts flight operations with a CMV-22 tiltrotor aircraft on November 7. It was underway in the Eastern Pacific Ocean, the Navy said. The United States Navy aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan conducts flight operations with a CMV-22 tiltrotor aircraft on November 7. It was underway in the Eastern Pacific Ocean, the Navy said. Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Eric Stanton/U.S. Navy
The livestreaming webcam in San Diego shows the Ronald Reagan left North Island on November 2. Photos published by the U.S. Navy show it conducted flight operations with a CMV-22 tiltrotor aircraft while underway in the Eastern Pacific Ocean on Thursday.
USS Carl Vinson and USS Theodore Roosevelt: San Diego, California
This image captured by the European Space Agency’s Sentinel-2 satellites shows two United States Navy aircraft carriers moored at Naval Air Station North Island in San Diego, California, on November 5. They are USS Carl… This image captured by the European Space Agency’s Sentinel-2 satellites shows two United States Navy aircraft carriers moored at Naval Air Station North Island in San Diego, California, on November 5. They are USS Carl Vinson and USS Theodore Roosevelt.
Copernicus Data Space Ecosystem
Following the departure of the Ronald Reagan, the aircraft carriers remaining pierside at North Island were the Carl Vinson and the Theodore Roosevelt. The most recent photos posted by the U.S. Navy on October 30 show the former conducted daily operations at the base.
The Theodore Roosevelt was docked at North Island as of Wednesday, photos posted by the U.S. Navy show. It returned to the base last month following an overseas deployment.
People’s Liberation Army Navy
CNS Liaoning: Qingdao, Shandong
China’s first operational aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, was at its home port in Qingdao in the eastern province of Shandong on Wednesday, open-source satellite imagery showed.
The Liaoning started off a long-distance exercise as early as mid-September, which saw it operating in the Philippine Sea and the South China Sea, including a dual aircraft carrier operation with CNS Shandong, the second aircraft carrier in the Chinese navy service.
CNS Shandong: South China Sea
According to the Japanese Defense Ministry, the Shandong, which is homeported at Sanya on the southern Chinese island province of Hainan, was underway in waters east of the northern Philippines on Monday and sailed toward the South China Sea later in the day.
According to open-source satellite imagery, the Shandong was spotted transiting the South China Sea in waters northwest of the northern Philippines on Tuesday. Satellite imagery of Sanya naval base shows the aircraft carrier has yet to return to its home port as of Thursday.
CNS Fujian: Shanghai
The Fujian, which is China’s newest and most advanced aircraft carrier, was pierside at Shanghai’s Jiangnan Shipyard as of November 3, open-source satellite imagery showed. The yet-to-be-commissioned warship conducted a new round of sea trials in September.
Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force
JS Kaga: Eastern Pacific Ocean
A United States F-35B Lightning II fighter jet executes a vertical landing aboard the Japanese helicopter destroyer JS Kaga on November 2 in the Eastern Pacific Ocean. The Kaga is undergoing conversion into a light… A United States F-35B Lightning II fighter jet executes a vertical landing aboard the Japanese helicopter destroyer JS Kaga on November 2 in the Eastern Pacific Ocean. The Kaga is undergoing conversion into a light aircraft carrier.
The United States Department of Defense
The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force announced Thursday that the Kaga, one of its two Izumo-class helicopter-carrying destroyers, has successfully completed onboard trials with the F-35B Lightning II stealth fighter aircraft off the southern coast of California.
JS Izumo: Yokohama, Japan
The Izumo, the sister ship of the Kaga, left the naval base in Yokosuka and arrived at a shipyard in Yokohama to the north on November 1, according to a ship spotter’s video.
It will undergo a major refit as part of its conversion into a light aircraft carrier, including its trapezoidal bow converted into a rectangle.
