This tracker follows the world’s largest military mobilizations in one place: where aircraft carriers and amphibious ready groups were last reported, and which countries are moving troops, air defenses and other forces. Every row lists who reported it and when. Positions are approximate. Navies rarely publish exact locations, and the most recent public report can be several days old.
The biggest concentration right now is in the Middle East. Two U.S. carriers, USS George H.W. Bush and USS George Washington, were operating in the Arabian Sea as of USNI News’ Oct. 19 fleet tracker. A third, USS Theodore Roosevelt, left San Diego in late September and is heading for the region along with the Makin Island Amphibious Ready Group, U.S. officials told reporters. For live war figures, see the Iran war tracker and the Ukraine War Stats page.
Tracker Last updated Oct. 22, 2026, 9:30 a.m. ET. Positions are approximate and come from public reports; they can be days old.
Summary: where the carriers are
- Middle East: USS George H.W. Bush, USS George Washington
- Western Pacific: USS Theodore Roosevelt, Liaoning
- Europe and North Atlantic: HMS Prince of Wales, HMS Queen Elizabeth
- In port or maintenance: USS Ronald Reagan, Charles de Gaulle
- Position not reported: Fujian
Aircraft carrier status
| Ship | Navy | Group | Last reported location | Status | Report date | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| USS George H.W. Bush (CVN-77) | United States | Carrier Strike Group 10, Carrier Air Wing 7 | Arabian SeaSupporting U.S. operations in the Middle East; in the region since spring (March per Axios, April per officials cited by The Week). | Deployed | Oct. 19, 2026 | USNI News Fleet and Marine Tracker; Axios |
| USS George Washington (CVN-73) | United States | Carrier Strike Group 5, Carrier Air Wing 5 | Arabian SeaJapan-based carrier sent to the region over the summer to relieve USS Abraham Lincoln. | Deployed | Oct. 19, 2026 | USNI News Fleet and Marine Tracker; Axios |
| USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71) | United States | Carrier Strike Group 9, Carrier Air Wing 11 | Western Pacific, after a Yokosuka, Japan port visitLeft San Diego Sept. 27 for the Middle East, per a U.S. official cited by Axios; arrival expected mid-to-late November, as reported. Departed Yokosuka Oct. 19, according to ship spotters cited by USNI News. | Deployed, en route | Oct. 19, 2026 | USNI News Fleet and Marine Tracker; Axios; The National Interest |
| USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76) | United States | n/a | San DiegoReturned to San Diego Oct. 13, according to ship spotters cited by USNI News. | In home port | Oct. 19, 2026 | USNI News Fleet and Marine Tracker |
| HMS Prince of Wales (R09) | United Kingdom | UK Carrier Strike Group, with HMS Dauntless | North Atlantic and High NorthOperation Firecrest phase 2 under NATO command; about 1,200 UK personnel, F-35B jets, per the Royal Navy. | Deployed | Oct. 17, 2026 | Royal Navy |
| HMS Queen Elizabeth (R08) | United Kingdom | NATO Allied Reaction Force command ship | UK and northern European watersThree-month training programme from early September; left Belfast Oct. 12. | Training deployment | Oct. 12, 2026 | Royal Navy; Forces News |
| Charles de Gaulle (R91) | France | n/a | ToulonTechnical stop since Aug. 31, due to end in early December; a small fire on Oct. 5 caused no injuries, the French Navy said. | Maintenance | Oct. 5, 2026 | Anadolu Agency; Mer et Marine |
| Liaoning (16) | China | With destroyers Anshan, Wuxi and Huainan | South China Sea, via the Luzon StraitEntered the western Pacific Oct. 14 and the South China Sea Oct. 15, per Japan's Joint Staff as reported by USNI News. China's navy called it routine annual training. | At sea, training | Oct. 15, 2026 | USNI News; Taipei Times |
| Fujian (18) | China | n/a | Not publicly reportedLast publicly reported transiting the Taiwan Strait on June 23, per Taiwan's defense ministry as reported by Reuters. | No current report | Jun. 23, 2026 | Reuters |
Amphibious ready groups and assault ships
| Ship | Navy | Group | Last reported location | Status | Report date | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| USS Boxer (LHD-4) | United States | Boxer ARG with USS Comstock, USS Portland and the 11th MEU | Arabian Sea | Deployed | Oct. 19, 2026 | USNI News Fleet and Marine Tracker |
| USS Makin Island (LHD-8) | United States | Makin Island ARG with USS Anchorage, USS John P. Murtha and the 13th MEU | Pacific, heading west after HawaiiHeaded to the Middle East with arrival expected by late November, per U.S. officials cited by Axios. | Deployed, en route | Oct. 19, 2026 | USNI News Fleet and Marine Tracker; Axios |
| USS Tripoli (LHA-7) | United States | Forward-deployed amphibious assault ship | Sasebo, Japan (in port) | In port | Oct. 19, 2026 | USNI News Fleet and Marine Tracker |
| USS San Antonio (LPD-17) | United States | n/a | Norfolk, Va.Completed its deployment and returned Oct. 16. | Returned from deployment | Oct. 19, 2026 | USNI News Fleet and Marine Tracker |
Deployments by region
Aircraft carriers Amphibious ships. Counts come from the tables above.
Major troop movements and deployments
| Date | Country | Forces | From / to | Size as reported | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct. 21, 2026 | Turkey | Military technical personnel and air-defense experts (planned)An AK Party lawmaker told Reuters a deployment mandate will go to parliament after the Mecca defense pact is ratified; troops would not take part in offensive operations. | Turkey → Saudi Arabia | Not stated | Proposed, not deployed | Reuters via Al-Monitor; Anadolu Agency |
| Oct. 21, 2026 | Russia | 5th Tank Brigade, 37th and 64th Motorized Rifle BrigadesUkraine's 7th Rapid Reaction Corps spokesperson said Russian forces are accumulating armor and personnel, as reported by ISW. Not independently verified. | Not stated → Hulyaipole direction, Zaporizhzhia region, Ukraine | Not stated | Claimed by Ukraine | ISW |
| Oct. 21, 2026 | Russia | Elements of the 41st Combined Arms ArmyUkrainian observer Kostyantyn Mashovets reported a sharp rise in offensive tempo, as cited by ISW. | Hryshyne area → Toward Serhiivka, southwest of Dobropillya, Ukraine | Not stated | As reported by ISW | ISW |
| Oct. 21, 2026 | Ukraine | Operation Vivaldi counteroffensive forcesISW assesses the operation defeated the northern pincer of a planned Russian encirclement. | Lyman direction → Donetsk region | At least 277 sq km liberated, per ISW | As assessed by ISW | ISW |
| Oct. 21, 2026 | Germany | 4th Logistics Regiment convoys (Brave Blue 26 exercise)First German reinforcement-deployment rehearsal in Estonia. | Germany → Estonia | Not disclosed | Exercise, Oct. 16 to 27 | ERR News |
| Oct. 17, 2026 | United Kingdom | UK Carrier Strike Group (HMS Prince of Wales, HMS Dauntless) | Portsmouth → Arctic and North Atlantic, under NATO command | About 1,200 personnel | Deployed | Royal Navy |
| Oct. 15, 2026 | China | Aircraft and naval ships around TaiwanTaiwan says it is watching for large-scale drills in the November-December season. | China → Around Taiwan | 15 aircraft, 10 naval ships and 7 official ships in 12 hours | As reported by Taiwan's defense ministry | Taipei Times; Focus Taiwan (CNA) |
| Oct. 6, 2026 | Sweden | Patriot air-defense unit | Sweden → Poland | About 100 troops | Announced, from Dec. 1 for seven months | Euronews |
| Oct. 2, 2026 | United States | Two additional Patriot batteriesSent in September, per two U.S. officials and a regional source. CENTCOM declined to comment. | Not stated → Saudi Arabia (oil facility) and Qatar (gas facility) | 2 batteries | As reported by Axios | Axios |
| Oct. 1, 2026 | United States | Theodore Roosevelt CSG and Makin Island ARG with the 13th MEUOfficials cited by AP and WSJ. | San Diego → Middle East | About 9,000 troops (AP); 9,000 to 10,000 (WSJ) | En route | AP; Wall Street Journal |
Timeline of recent changes
Turkey's ruling party says a mandate to send military personnel to Saudi Arabia will follow ratification of the Mecca defense pact. (Reuters via Al-Monitor)
Turkey submits the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan to parliament. (Anadolu Agency)
USS Theodore Roosevelt departs Yokosuka, Japan, according to ship spotters cited by USNI News. (USNI News Fleet and Marine Tracker)
HMS Prince of Wales sails for the Arctic and North Atlantic for phase 2 of Operation Firecrest. (Royal Navy)
USS San Antonio returns to Norfolk; USS Theodore Roosevelt arrives in Yokosuka. German logistics troops begin the Brave Blue 26 deployment exercise in Estonia. (USNI News Fleet and Marine Tracker; ERR News)
China's Liaoning carrier group enters the South China Sea through the Luzon Strait. (USNI News)
Liaoning group passes between Okinawa and Miyako into the western Pacific. (USNI News; Taipei Times)
USS Ronald Reagan returns to San Diego. (USNI News Fleet and Marine Tracker)
HMS Queen Elizabeth leaves Belfast to continue autumn training. (Forces News)
Sweden says it will send a Patriot unit and about 100 troops to Poland from Dec. 1. (Euronews)
Small fire aboard Charles de Gaulle in Toulon during maintenance; no injuries, the French Navy says. (Anadolu Agency)
Axios reports two more U.S. Patriot batteries were sent to Saudi Arabia and Qatar. (Axios)
U.S. officials say a third carrier strike group and the 13th MEU, roughly 9,000 troops, are heading to the Middle East. (AP; Wall Street Journal)
Makin Island Amphibious Ready Group leaves for the Middle East, a U.S. official tells Axios. (Axios)
USS Theodore Roosevelt leaves San Diego, a U.S. official tells Axios. (Axios)
Sources
- USNI News Fleet and Marine Tracker, Oct. 19, 2026
- AP, Oct. 1, 2026: Third aircraft carrier and thousands of troops head to Mideast
- Axios, Oct. 2, 2026: U.S. sent more Patriots to protect Saudi, Qatari energy sites
- Wall Street Journal, Oct. 1, 2026: U.S. sending third aircraft carrier, up to 10,000 more troops
- The National Interest, Oct. 21, 2026: Why USS Theodore Roosevelt hasn't reached the Middle East
- Royal Navy, Oct. 17, 2026: HMS Prince of Wales returns to the North Atlantic
- Royal Navy, Sept. 4, 2026: HMS Queen Elizabeth sails to strengthen NATO readiness
- Forces News, Oct. 12, 2026: HMS Queen Elizabeth departs Belfast
- Anadolu Agency, Oct. 5, 2026: Fire aboard Charles de Gaulle at Toulon
- Mer et Marine, Oct. 2026: Charles de Gaulle technical stop and fire (in French)
- USNI News, Oct. 14, 2026: Chinese carrier strike group heads to South China Sea
- Taipei Times, Oct. 15, 2026: Chinese naval carrier group enters western Pacific
- Focus Taiwan (CNA), Oct. 15, 2026: Taiwan watching for large-scale PLA drills
- Reuters, June 23, 2026: Fujian sails through Taiwan Strait, Taipei says
- Reuters via Al-Monitor, Oct. 21, 2026: Turkey plans mandate to send military personnel to Saudi Arabia
- Anadolu Agency, Oct. 20, 2026: Turkey submits Mecca defense pact bill to parliament
- ISW, Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, Oct. 21, 2026
- Euronews, Oct. 6, 2026: Swedish Patriot missiles to be sent to Poland
- ERR News, Oct. 21, 2026: German military practices deploying troops to Estonia
Top image: USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) and its strike group in the Arabian Sea, Feb. 6, 2026. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Jesse Monford, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
How we track deployments
For U.S. carrier strike groups and amphibious ready groups, the main source is the weekly USNI News Fleet and Marine Tracker, which compiles Navy releases, public data and ship-spotter reports. For other navies we use official releases from the Royal Navy and the French Navy, along with reports from Japan’s Joint Staff and Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense as carried by USNI News, Reuters, the Taipei Times and Focus Taiwan.
Troop movements come from official announcements and from Reuters, AP, the Wall Street Journal, Axios and regional outlets. For the war in Ukraine, we use the Institute for the Study of War’s daily assessments. When a figure comes from anonymous officials, we say so. When one side makes a claim no one else has confirmed, the status column marks it as a claim. We do not estimate positions or sizes ourselves. If no reliable public report exists, the table says “not publicly reported.”
What the status labels mean
- Deployed or en route: at sea on an operational deployment, as reported.
- Training deployment, exercise or announced: planned or training activity, not an operational deployment.
- In port, maintenance or returned: alongside or home.
- As reported by or as assessed by: one named outlet or analyst is the source.
- Claimed by: a government or military claim that has not been independently verified.
Additional context
India has two carriers, INS Vikrant and INS Vikramaditya. As of Oct. 22 we found no current public report of either one on deployment, so neither appears in the table. Recent Indian Navy news has centered on shore-based Rafale Marine trials in Goa. China’s third carrier, Shandong, is also left out for the same reason. We will add them when a reliable report places them at sea.
Turkey’s possible deployment to Saudi Arabia is listed as proposed, not under way. Its parliament still has to ratify the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement and then approve a separate mandate. Germany’s convoys in Estonia are part of a training exercise. Sweden’s Patriot deployment to Poland is scheduled to start Dec. 1.
The data behind this page is available as JSON at /wp-json/tbr/v1/mdt-json and is free to reuse under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license, with credit to The Boston Report. If you spot an error or have a newer public report, contact us through the contact page.