U.S. Navy Delays Retirement Of Its Oldest Aircraft Carrier USS Nimitz Until 2027

The US Navy has decided to delay the retirement of its oldest aircraft carrier, USS Nimitz (CVN 68), and will now keep it in service until March 2027. This will help the Navy maintain the required minimum of 11 active aircraft carriers.

The ship was earlier planned to retire in 2026, but its service has now been extended by about 10 months. This is mainly because the new carrier, USS John F. Kennedy (CVN-79), will not be ready until March 2027.

At the same time, the Navy has already started preparing for Nimitz’s retirement. A contract has been given to Huntington Ingalls Industries to handle planning and materials needed for the ship’s inactivation and nuclear defueling. This work is expected to finish by March 2027.

USS Nimitz left Bremerton, Washington, on March 7 for what is likely its final phase of operations. It is currently deployed under the US 4th Fleet as part of the Southern Seas 2026 mission.

During its last deployment, the ship’s air wing carried out strikes in Somalia and completed over 8,500 sorties, logging around 17,000 flight hours. It also made port calls in Malaysia, Bahrain, Oman and the UAE.

The carrier is now shifting its homeport to Norfolk, Virginia.

Commissioned in 1975, USS Nimitz has served for nearly 51 years. It has taken part in major events including the Vietnam War period, Operation Desert Storm, and post-9/11 conflicts.

The ship underwent major refueling and overhaul between 1998 and 2001, which extended its service life. It is now expected to retire about 26 years after that.

Even though it is close to retirement, USS Nimitz is still operational and continues to support missions. Keeping it active helps the Navy avoid a gap in its carrier fleet while waiting for newer ships to enter service.

References: stripes, defense express

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