A United States aircraft carrier arrived at a military hub in the Western Pacific Ocean this week, while a Chinese aircraft carrier continued to operate off the country’s coastline.
Newsweek‘s weekly update maps aircraft carrier movements in the Indo-Pacific region. As of April 18, the locations of 10 vessels were publicly available via military disclosures and open-source imagery captured by satellites or ship spotters. The U.S. has the world’s largest “flattop” fleet, with 11 aircraft carriers in service. China ranks second with three.
U.S. Navy
USS Nimitz: Guam
The Nimitz arrived in Guam, which is America’s westernmost territory in the Pacific Ocean, on Friday for a scheduled port visit. Guam plays a vital role in enabling the ability to operate forward by supporting logistics, command and control, and fleet readiness, the U.S. Navy said.
Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Hannah Kantner/U.S. Navy
The Nimitz is the oldest U.S. aircraft carrier in active service. It departed Naval Base Kitsap in Bremerton, Washington, for a scheduled Western Pacific Ocean deployment on March 21.
USS George Washington: Yokosuka, Japan
The George Washington remained at the Yokosuka naval base as of Friday, its home port near Tokyo in Japan, according to a local government website that tracks port visits by U.S. nuclear-powered warships.
USS Theodore Roosevelt and USS Abraham Lincoln: San Diego, California
Both the Theodore Roosevelt and the Abraham Lincoln were pier-side at Naval Air Station North Island in San Diego, California, as of Friday, according to a website that records the U.S. aircraft carrier fleet’s deployment history.
USS Ronald Reagan: Bremerton, Washington
The Ronald Reagan remained at Naval Base Kitsap as of Tuesday, where it is undergoing scheduled maintenance, according to the U.S. Navy.
People’s Liberation Army Navy
CNS Liaoning: Bohai Sea
According to satellite imagery, China’s first operational aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, was spotted underway in the Bohai Sea, off the coast of northeastern China, on Tuesday.
CNS Shandong: Sanya, Hainan
China’s second operational aircraft carrier, the Shandong, remained at its home port in Sanya in the southern province of Hainan, which faces the South China Sea, according to a satellite image captured on Wednesday.
CNS Fujian: Shanghai
There is no report of any movement of the Fujian, China’s most advanced but yet-to-be-commissioned aircraft carrier, which was previously at the Jiangnan Shipyard in Shanghai in eastern China.
Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force
JS Kaga: Kure, Japan
The Kaga remained in Kure, a city located in southwest Honshu, Japan’s main island, according to publicly available ship-tracking data. It is a helicopter destroyer undergoing conversion into Japan’s first aircraft carrier since World War II.
JS Izumo: Yokohama, Japan
Japanese media has reported that the Izumo, the Kaga‘s sister ship, will remain at a shipyard in Yokohama near Tokyo until 2027, when it will be converted into an aircraft carrier.
