Map Shows US and Chinese Aircraft Carriers in Pacific This Week

A United States aircraft carrier was leaving the Western Pacific Ocean on a redeployment order to the Middle East, while a Chinese aircraft carrier participated in large-scale drills near the self-ruled island of Taiwan, staging a show of force to the U.S. security partner.

Newsweek‘s weekly update maps aircraft carrier movements in the Indo-Pacific region. As of April 4, the locations of 11 vessels were publicly available via military disclosures and open-source imagery captured by satellites or ship spotters. The U.S. has the world’s largest “flattop” fleet, with 11 aircraft carriers in service. China ranks second with three.

USS Carl Vinson: Singapore Strait

The Carl Vinson was spotted transiting the Singapore Strait on Friday as it is heading to the Middle East amid tensions with Iran and the Houthi rebels in Yemen. It is set to join its sister ship, USS Harry S. Truman, which is currently operating in the Red Sea.

The waterway links the Strait of Malacca in the west with the South China Sea in the east.

USS George Washington: Yokosuka, Japan

The George Washington remained at the Yokosuka naval base as of Friday, its home port near Tokyo in Japan, according to a local government website that tracks port visits by U.S. nuclear-powered warships.

USS Nimitz: Eastern Pacific Ocean

Photos published by the U.S. Navy show the Nimitz was operating in the Eastern Pacific Ocean, which is the U.S. Third Fleet’s area of operations, on Wednesday. It is heading to the Western Pacific Ocean for a deployment, filling the power gap left by the Carl Vinson.

USS Abraham Lincoln: Eastern Pacific Ocean

The Abraham Lincoln was spotted leaving Naval Air Station North Island in San Diego, California, on Tuesday.

USS Theodore Roosevelt: San Diego, California

The Theodore Roosevelt remained at Naval Air Station North Island as of Wednesday, according to a satellite image.

USS Ronald Reagan: Bremerton, Washington

The U.S. Navy said the Ronald Reagan remained at Naval Base Kitsap in Bremerton, Washington, on Thursday, where it is undergoing maintenance.

CNS Liaoning: Qingdao, Shandong

According to satellite imagery, China’s first operational aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, was spotted at its home port in Qingdao in the eastern province of Shandong on Monday.

CNS Shandong: South China Sea

China’s second operational aircraft carrier, the Shandong, took part in the Chinese military exercises in the Philippine Sea, southeast of Taiwan, from Tuesday to Wednesday. It was tracked sailing to the South China Sea on Thursday, the Japanese military said.

CNS Fujian: Shanghai

Photos circulated on social media show the Fujian returned to the Jiangnan Shipyard in Shanghai in eastern China on Tuesday. It left the shipyard in mid-March for its seventh sea trial since its launch three years ago.

Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force

JS Kaga: Kure, Japan

Kaga, which is 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. A photo circulated on social media shows it was pier-side as of Wednesday.

JS Izumo: Yokohama, Japan

Japanese media reported that the Izumo, the Kaga‘s sister ship, will remain at a shipyard in Yokohama near Tokyo until 2027, when it will be converted into an aircraft carrier. Photos circulated on social media show it underwent a berth change in the shipyard on March 30.