The US Navy has postponed the retirement of its oldest carrier, USS Nimitz (CVN-68), extending its service from May 2026 to March 2027.
The 10-month delay synchronizes the ship’s inactivation with the planned delivery of the USS John F. Kennedy (CVN-79), part of the Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carrier program, expected next March. This adjustment allows the navy to maintain its legally mandated fleet of at least 11 active carriers, despite ongoing delays affecting the CVN-79 program.
As reported by Breaking Defense, the revised schedule coincides with the vessel’s final transit in early March from Naval Base Kitsap to Naval Station Norfolk. The carrier had earlier completed its final deployment supporting missions under US Central Command and US Indo-Pacific Command before returning in December 2025.
First commissioned in May 1975, the USS Nimitz is named after Chester W. Nimitz and is widely recognized as the “Pacific Northwest’s Carrier.”
Equipped with two Westinghouse A4W nuclear reactors, the ship can sustain speeds of up to 30 knots and operate over distances exceeding 12,000 nautical miles without refueling. Over its decades of service, it has taken part in key operations such as Operation Desert Storm and Operation Enduring Freedom following the September 11 attacks.
