| Deploying nation |  United States |
|---|---|
| Host nation or area | South China Sea |
| Region | Southeast Asia |
| Military branch | 🚢 Aircraft carrier |
| Record type | Deployment |
| Operation or mission | |
| Unit or formation | Carrier Strike Group 9, Carrier Air Wing 11 |
| Personnel | Not disclosed |
| Equipment | Not stated |
| Status | Confirmed active |
| Start or report date | Nov 2, 2026 |
| Withdrawal or end date | — |
| Last verified | Nov 2, 2026 |
| Confidence | High: official or multiple independent sources |
Background
South China Sea (after Keen Sword 27)Left San Diego Sept. 27 for the Middle East, per a U.S. official cited by Axios; arrival expected mid-to-late November, as reported. After a Yokosuka port visit (Oct. 16 to 19), sailed with Japanese, Australian, Canadian and French warships in the Philippine Sea on Oct. 21 for Keen Sword 27, which ended Oct. 29, per Kyodo News; still underway in the Philippine Sea for the drills as of Oct. 26, per USNI News, deployed with the uncrewed surface vessel Seahawk. Per the U.S. Navy (navy.mil), the carrier, cruiser USS Chosin and destroyer USS Decatur arrived at Yokosuka Oct. 16 ahead of Keen Sword; a U.S. Pacific Fleet photo release places the group in the Philippine Sea Oct. 21. TWZ reported Oct. 27 that two U.S. officials confirmed to Fox News the strike group and the Makin Island Amphibious Ready Group are destined for the Middle East, and that it is unclear whether the carrier will stay for the end of Keen Sword before heading there. Kyodo News reported the exercise concluded on Oct. 29. USNI News reported Oct. 30 that the strike group (Carrier Air Wing 11, cruiser USS Chosin, destroyers USS Paul Hamilton and USS Decatur) held a passenger exchange with Canadian frigate HMCS Regina on Oct. 26 during Keen Sword, and that Chosin pulled into Yokosuka Oct. 25 and left Oct. 28, according to local ship spotters. USNI News reported the carrier underway in the South China Sea as of Nov. 2, following Keen Sword 27; a U.S. Navy photo shows it taking on fuel from the oiler USNS Tippecanoe on Oct. 30. Status: Deployed, en route.
Deployment timeline
- Record added from The Boston Report Military Deployments Tracker. Source report dated 2026-11-02.
Sources
- USNI News Fleet and Marine Tracker
- USNI News
- Kyodo News via Okinawa Times
- The War Zone (TWZ)
- USNI News Fleet and Marine Tracker
- U.S. Navy (navy.mil)
- U.S. Pacific Fleet (cpf.navy.mil)
- U.S. Pacific Command (pacom.mil)
- USNI News Western Pacific Pulse
- USNI News
- USNI News Fleet and Marine Tracker
- Axios
- The National Interest
Related deployments
- Fujian (18): South China Sea, southeast of Hainan (as of Nov. 2 satellite imagery) Confirmed active
- USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69): Atlantic Ocean, after leaving Norfolk, Va., Nov. 4 Confirmed active
- Tiger Triumph 2026 military exercise Confirmed active
- USS Boxer (LHD-4): Indian Ocean Confirmed active
- USS Nimitz (CVN-68): Western Atlantic, after leaving Norfolk, Va., Oct. 27 Confirmed active
- USS George Washington (CVN-73): Arabian Sea Confirmed active
- USS George H.W. Bush (CVN-77): Arabian Sea Confirmed active
- United States: Marine Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Squadron 1 (VMU-1) detachment with MQ-9A Reaper drones to Antonio Bautista Air Base, Puerto Princesa, Palawan, Philippines Confirmed active
Public information only. Locations are given at country or sea-area level. Figures are shown as the source reported them; estimates and claims are labeled. Spot an error? Request a correction.