America’s Supercarriers Are Back in Force in the Pacific

CVN-72 arrived in Guam for a scheduled port call last week, representing the second American supercarrier now deployed to the Western Pacific. Accompanied by guided-missile destroyers USS Spruance, USS Frank E. Peterson Jr., and USS Michael Murphy, USS Abraham Lincoln made a pit stop at the island roughly three weeks after pulling out of its homeport in San Diego. “Our Strike Group presence in 7th Fleet waters demonstrates our commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific,” said Rear Adm. Todd Whalen, commander, Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group. “Port calls to strategic locations like Guam enhance our mission readiness and help us stay ready to execute maritime operations in theater.”

While the US Navy’s carriers typically follow the service’s Optimized Fleet Response Plan (OFRP), which consists of a 36-month schedule of maintenance, training, and deployment, CVN-72 is back out at sea following a 162-day tour one year ago. Last year, another Nimitz-class carrier also broke from this protocol. USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70) ended a nearly five-month-long deployment in early 2023 and again left port for a nine-month-long follow-on tour less than one year later. The ramp-up in geopolitical tensions in the South China Sea and Red Sea has certainly contributed to this increased carrier presence in recent years.

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