USS Ronald Reagan Nearing Return To Service As Navy Faces Carrier Shortage

Aircraft bearer USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) departs from Bremerton, Washington for San Diego pursuing complete a twelvemonth of maintenance, 2013. Image courtesy Scott A. McCall/US Navy. (Photo via Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images).

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There are presently conscionable 3 United States Navy nuclear-powered craft carriers actively operating astatine sea, pinch 2 deployed to the Middle East and different successful the Western Pacific. A 4th could caput retired to oversea successful the coming weeks, but the U.S. Navy remains stretched bladed and will apt proceed to widen deployments of each warship.

Two different carriers – 1 connected the West Coast and different connected the East Coast – aren’t apt to statesman their respective patrols until later successful the fall, but 1 different craft bearer is adjacent to returning to service, and could beryllium group to resume operations successful early 2027.

Stars and Stripes first reported that the Naval Base Kitsap-Bremerton, Wash.-based USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76) is connected way to complete its Drydocking Planned Incremental Availability by the extremity of August. That activity is being conducted astatine the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard & Intermediate Maintenance Facility, the specialized business shipyard located wrong the Bremerton information of Naval Base Kitsap.

The U.S. Navy’s ninth Nimitz-class carrier, USS Ronald Reagan, is named for America's 40th president. CVN-76 had served arsenic the service's only forward-deployed flattop until early 2024, and spent overmuch of that summertime conducting a “hull swap” pinch USS George Washington (CVN-73) successful San Diego, earlier arriving astatine her caller location larboard of Naval Base Kitsap, Bremerton, Washington, connected August 13, 2024.

Carrier Maintenance On The West Coast

CVN-76 is the latest craft bearer to beryllium serviced astatine PSNS & IMF, the only installation connected the West Coast capable to behaviour specified attraction connected the monolithic vessels.

The supercarrier began its DPIA successful March 2025, arsenic a scheduled attraction play wherever ample warships are placed into a barren dock. During the past twelvemonth and a half, the USS Ronald Reagan has undergone intensive structural repairs, hull preservation and technological upgrades. Much of this activity tin only beryllium done while retired of the water, arsenic it focuses connected parts of the vessel that are usually submerged, including the propeller shafts, rudders and underwater hull plating. In addition, the warship is receiving upgrades to its combat systems, physics suites, catapult mechanisms and surviving quarters.

The DPIA is simply a much intensive attraction than a Planned Incremental Availability, which tin beryllium completed while the vessel remains afloat successful the water.

Even arsenic PSNS & IMF is the only installation connected the West Coast that tin grip this level of work, it isn’t tin of handling the aforesaid level of activity connected the newer Gerald R. Ford-class carriers. As existent plans telephone for the 2nd bearer of the caller class, the early USS John F. Kennedy (CVN-79), to beryllium homeported astatine Naval Base Kitsap, the U.S. Navy is apt to move guardant pinch an upgrade of the facility to support the attraction of the vessels successful the Pacific Northwest.

Last month, the U.S. Navy issued a Sources Sought notice for a multi-mission barren dock, pinch the statement being worthy up to $30 billion.

“The Multi-Mission Dry Dock is simply a afloat pressure-relieved barren dock tin of accommodating shipyard repair services for the newest Ford-class craft carrier, Nimitz-class carriers, and different aboveground and subsurface ships served by PSNS & IMF,” the announcement explained.

It would beryllium a mammoth undertaking to upgrade the existent Dry Dock 3, which will see installation of caller infrastructure, including electrical substations and inferior tunnels, and yet a dock caisson. The U.S. Navy whitethorn not person a choice; however, an replacement action will beryllium to nonstop the Ford-class flattops backmost to Norfolk, Virginia.

Where Are The Other Carriers?

The Nimitz-class supercarriers USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) and USS George H.W. Bush (CVN-77) stay successful the Arabian Sea, supporting U.S. subject operations successful the Middle East, and are fresh to motorboat combat sorties against Iran should that beryllium ordered.

The forward-deployed USS George Washington is now operating successful the Indo-Pacific, aft conducting a larboard visit to Da Nang, Vietnam, past month. The Yokosuka, Japan-based flattop began its 2026 patrol successful May.

A 4th carrier, the San Diego-based USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71), is successful port aft starring past month’s Rim of the Pacific world subject exercises adjacent Hawaii, and is group to statesman its 2026 deployment successful September.

The USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69), the U.S. Navy’s 2nd oldest nuclear-powered craft carrier, completed its PIA this spring, and has been undergoing preparations and certifications for a deployment later this twelvemonth from Naval Station Norfolk.

The San Diego-based USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70) is besides preparing for its adjacent deployment.

However, by the clip CVN-69 and CVN-70 yet caput retired to sea, USS Abraham Lincoln will apt beryllium backmost successful larboard aft having departed from Naval Station North Island, San Diego, successful precocious November 2025, and USS George H.W. Bush will besides person spent overmuch of the twelvemonth deployed, having departed from Norfolk this past March.