The United States and its NATO ally France continued to deploy their aircraft carriers in the Western Pacific Ocean this week. Meanwhile, the Chinese navy, which is the largest in the world by hull count, sent to sea all of its aircraft carriers that are in active service.
Newsweek‘s weekly update maps aircraft carrier movements in the Indo-Pacific region. As of February 28, the locations of 12 vessels were publicly available via military disclosures, as well as open-source imagery captured by satellites or ship-spotters. The U.S. military has the world’s largest “flattop” fleet with 11 in service. China ranks second with three.
U.S. Navy
USS Carl Vinson: Philippine Sea
The Carl Vinson was underway in the Philippine Sea southeast of Kyushu, which is the most southerly of the four Japan‘s main islands, from Wednesday to Thursday, according to a website that records the U.S. aircraft carrier fleet’s deployment history.
USS George Washington: Yokosuka, Japan
The George Washington remained pierside at Yokosuka naval base, its home port in the Greater Tokyo Area, as of Friday, according to a local government website that tracks port visits by the U.S. nuclear-powered warships.
USS Theodore Roosevelt and USS Abraham Lincoln: San Diego, California
Both the Theodore Roosevelt and the Abraham Lincoln remained at Naval Air Station North Island in San Diego, California, as of Tuesday, according to satellite imagery.
Copernicus Data Space Ecosystem
USS Nimitz and USS Ronald Reagan: Bremerton, Washington
The Nimitz remained at Naval Base Kitsap in Bremerton, Washington, as of Thursday, according to a website that records the U.S. aircraft carrier fleet’s deployment history.
A photo published by the U.S. Navy shows the Ronald Reagan remained at the same base as of Tuesday.
People’s Liberation Army Navy
CNS Liaoning: Yellow Sea
The Liaoning, China’s first operational aircraft carrier, was spotted underway in the Yellow Sea on Wednesday, according to satellite imagery.
CNS Shandong: South China Sea
A satellite image captured on Tuesday shows an empty pier at Yulin naval base in Sanya, the home of the Shandong, which is the second Chinese aircraft carrier, in China’s southern Hainan province and on the edge of the South China Sea.
Copernicus Data Space Ecosystem
CNS Fujian: Shanghai
The Fujian, China’s most advanced but yet-to-be-commissioned aircraft carrier, remained pierside at Shanghai’s Jiangnan Shipyard, according to photos posted on social media on Wednesday.
According to these images & a notice of the Shanghai Aviation Police, the PLANS-18 “Fujian” is preparing or already conducted again catapult tests with the already known red trolleys.
(Images via @Captain小潇 from Weibo) pic.twitter.com/aevWNkLx4J
— @Rupprecht_A (@RupprechtDeino) February 26, 2025
Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force
JS Kaga: Kure, Japan
Kaga, a helicopter destroyer undergoing conversion into Japan’s first aircraft carrier since World War II, remained in Kure, a city located in southwest Honshu, Japan’s main island, on Friday.
呉湾艦船めぐりに行ってきました!!
潜水艦や護衛艦の数々を間近で眺めることができ大迫力でした(≧▽≦)b
中でも護衛艦かがは流石といった規模で圧巻でした✨
やっぱり呉って今も昔もスゴいですねぇ〜 pic.twitter.com/nSxeoZ3Baa— えーちゃん (@Eichanoff0228) February 28, 2025
JS Izumo: Yokohama, Japan
Japanese media said the Izumo, which is the Kaga‘s sister ship, will remain at a shipyard in Yokohama until 2027, for conversion into an aircraft carrier.
French Navy
FS Charles de Gaulle: South China Sea
The Charles de Gaulle departed from the Philippines and returned to the South China Sea after a three-day unprecedented visit to the Southeast Asian country, Marie Fontanel, the French ambassador to the Philippines, said on Monday.
