The U.S. Navy’s USS George Washington Carrier Strike Group is transiting toward the Middle East to replace the USS Abraham Lincoln, leaving no American aircraft carriers in the Pacific for the first time since 2024.
The Lincoln, which has operated continuously since November 2025 without liberty port calls, will soon complete its nine-month deployment. Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao confirmed the rotation in a statement Friday, though the Pentagon declined to comment on operational details. The George Washington’s arrival in CENTCOM’s area of responsibility could occur this week, but the exact timeline remains unclear.
With no carriers in PACOM, Admiral Samuel Paparo faces a gap in deterrence against potential aggression from China or North Korea. The nearest deployed carrier is now in the Middle East enforcing a maritime blockade, where the Lincoln has flown over 10,000 sorties and expended more than 1.5 million pounds of ordnance. The Theodore Roosevelt, slated to deploy from San Diego, remains pierside, but her next destination—Asia or the Middle East—has not been disclosed.
