Here’s TWZ’s weekly carrier tracker monitoring America’s flattop fleet, including deployed Carrier Strike Groups (CSG) and Amphibious Ready Groups (ARG), using publicly available open-source information. Check out last week’s report here.

Amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima returned to Naval Station Norfolk on Saturday, wrapping a nearly 10-month deployment to the U.S. Southern Command-4th Fleet area of responsibility (AOR). During the 296-day deployment, the Iwo Jima ARG launched over 6,000 sorties, flew 1,850 flight hours, and transited more than 130,000 combined nautical miles. The ARG was the first group of expeditionary naval assets deployed to support Operation Southern Spear, which involved enhanced counter narcotics operations, and played a key role in Operation Absolute Resolve to exfiltrate ex-President Nicolas Maduro from Venezuela.

Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima (LHD 7) returned to its homeport of Norfolk, Va. on June 6 following a historic 10-month deployment to the U.S. Fourth Fleet area of operations.

Story:https://t.co/GakDhjvaky pic.twitter.com/6w6Ungogn4

— U.S. 2nd Fleet (@US2ndFleet) June 6, 2026

Aircraft carrier USS Nimitz departed Kingston, Jamaica, after a 4-day port call. Nimitz is now reportedly en route to the United States, according to the U.S. Embassy in Jamaica, “as it finished its 2026 Southern Seas goodwill tour.” The two ships supporting Nimitz, destroyer USS Gridley and oiler USNS Patuxent, also got underway after a brief stop in Ponce, Puerto Rico. Over the weekend, Nimitz embarked officials from the Dominican Republic for a distinguished visitor tour and Gridley fired the Mk 45 Mod 4 5-inch gun during a live fire demonstration.

The USS Nimitz (CVN 68) departed Kingston Harbor at 12pm on June 5 enroute to the United States as it finished its 2026 Southern Seas goodwill tour. Thank you for stopping in Kingston and strengthening the U.S.-Jamaica bilateral partnership as well as enhancing our… pic.twitter.com/RKimaXy6ia

— US Embassy Jamaica (@USEmbassyJA) June 6, 2026

The U.S. maintains dual-carrier coverage in the Middle East enforcing the naval blockade of Iranian ports. USS Abraham Lincoln conducted a replenishment-at-sea with USNS Arctic in the Arabian Sea on June 3, and USS George H.W. Bush is operating at an undisclosed location in the AOR. U.S. Central Command forces have redirected 134 commercial vessels and disabled seven ships attempting to run the blockade, according to a press release.

The officer of the deck aboard USS Michael Murphy (DDG 112) observes a merchant vessel while the guided-missile destroyer enforces the U.S. blockade against Iran in the Arabian Sea. As of June 7, CENTCOM forces have redirected 132 commercial vessels and disabled 6 to ensure… pic.twitter.com/mZtfSMTIRG

— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) June 7, 2026

The George Washington CSG is operating in the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command-7th Fleet AOR. Washington was spotted alongside oiler USNS Earl Warren during a fueling-at-sea evolution on June 8 in the Philippine Sea and, during the last week of May, embarked Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 5 and completed carrier qualifications (CQ). CVW-5 includes a squadron of F-35C fighter aircraft.

Coming in loud and clear!

An F/A-18E roars in for a landing on the flight deck of USS George Washington while underway in the Philippine Sea. Forward-deployed strike capabilities maintain regional stability and guarantee a free and open Indo-Pacific.#FlyNavy | #US7thFleet pic.twitter.com/lAlxexD4hs

— 7th Fleet (@US7thFleet) June 8, 2026

Note: Positions are general approximations.

Contact the author: ian.ellis-jones@teamrecurrent.io

The post Iwo Jima Completes Deployment, Nimitz Heading Back To The United States appeared first on The War Zone.

Here’s TWZ’s weekly carrier tracker monitoring America’s flattop fleet, including Carrier Strike Groups (CSG) and Amphibious Ready Groups (ARG), using publicly available open-source information. Given the carrier picture is largely unchanged compared to last week, this week’s tracker highlights the big-deck amphibious fleet.

Much of America’s fleet of nine amphibious assault ships is hard at work as the U.S. opts to replace the Iwo Jima ARG in Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) with a “sub-optimized” Littoral Combat Force (LCF). The LCF appears to be the first deployment that embodies the Navy’s new more flexible deployment strategy, which could have wider impacts across the fleet in the future. “It’s the way to have force multiplication, to punch bigger than yourself, and that’s done through tailored offsets,” Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Daryl Caudle said at SNA earlier this year about the new tailored deployments concept. “That whole thing builds a way to present forces to allow me to do more with less.”

The 24th MEU, operating under the designation LCF-24, deployed to SOUTHCOM and replaced the Iwo Jima ARG. “Distinct from a standard Amphibious Ready Group/MEU deployment, LCF-24 is a purpose-built MAGTF engineered for distributed operations,” SOUTHCOM explained in a statement. The Marine Air-Ground Task Force, with more than 1,300 Marines and Sailors, will operate from both shore-based nodes and aboard Fort Lauderdale, and is certified to “execute a wide array of mission essential tasks, including but not limited to Quick Reaction Force operations such as embassy reinforcement and the tactical recovery of aircraft [and] personnel, while standing ready to support disaster relief activities.”

America’s forward-deployed crisis response forces, the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, is deployed to the @Southcom Area of Responsibility as Littoral Combat Force-24.@USMC | @USNavy #24thmeu #lcf24 #opsouthernspear #magtf #caribops #southcom pic.twitter.com/vAsHFChBTQ

— 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit (@The24MEU) May 29, 2026

Amphibious assault ship USS Boxer departed Singapore on May 30 after spending 12 days in port. “USS Boxer (LHD 4) pulled into Sembawang, Singapore, May 19, for maintenance and resupply,” a U.S. Navy spokesperson told TWZ. Notably, the nearly two-week stop coincided with a visit from Sec. Hegseth, who spoke at the Shangri-La Dialogue over the weekend. Boxer transited the Singapore Strait eastbound and entered the South China Sea, according to ship spotters and public AIS data.

USS Boxer (LHD 4) Wasp-class amphibious assault ship leaving Singapore – May 30, 2026 SRC: INST- dc_ah pic.twitter.com/JOeL49ReD5

— WarshipCam (@WarshipCam) May 30, 2026

The three-ship Boxer ARG disaggregated despite initial reports the group was headed to the Middle East to join the war. Dock landing ship USS Comstock is operating in the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) area of responsibility (AOR), alongside the three-ship Tripoli ARG, enforcing the ongoing blockade of Iranian ports. Amphibious transport dock USS Portland was last spotted training in the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM) AOR.

A U.S. Sailor aboard USS Comstock (LSD 45) observes a commercial vessel while enforcing the U.S. blockade against Iran, May 21. U.S. forces have redirected 97 commercial vessels and disabled 4 since the start of the blockade. pic.twitter.com/1Zgsoykhy4

— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) May 22, 2026

USS Iwo Jima and the embarked 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) are heading home after an almost 10-month deployment in the SOUTHCOM AOR, and were spotted today off Topsail Beach, North Carolina. USS San Antonio returned to Norfolk in late April, while USS Fort Lauderdale remains in the Caribbean to support the recently announced LCF-24 and Operation Southern Spear.

U.S. Marines with Maritime Raid Force, Littoral Combat Force-24, approach a UH-1Y Venom helicopter assigned to Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron (VMM) 365 (Reinforced), @The24MEU, during a Maritime Interdiction Operation Full Mission Profile rehearsal aboard San Antonio-class… pic.twitter.com/vbSEEfUpAb

— U.S. Southern Command (@Southcom) May 30, 2026

Back stateside, USS Kearsarge is in New Orleans for Sail 250, a “global gathering of tall ships and military ships to celebrate the 250th Anniversary of the founding of the U.S.” After completing landing deck certifications earlier this year, Kearsarge has been working up off the east coast and participating in public events. USS Makin Island is training in preparation for an upcoming deployment and completed Surface Warfare Advanced Tactical Training (SWATT) on May 28. USS Essex returned to homeport in San Diego after a week-long visit for L.A. Fleet Week. USS America, USS Bataan, and USS Wasp are, or have recently been, in maintenance.

https://t.co/4mVCaF4HEX pic.twitter.com/EhXXQavDfS

— SA Defensa (@SA_Defensa) May 31, 2026

Note: Positions are general approximations.

Contact the author: ian.ellis-jones@teamrecurrent.io

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