Where are America’s aircraft carriers now?

Although the US Navy has 11 nuclear-powered aircraft carriers in active service, only around half are deployed at any given time—with the rest in port or undergoing maintenance.

The United States Navy operates the largest fleet of nuclear-powered supercarriers in the world, though China is trying to catch up.

How Many Aircraft Carriers Does the US Have?

The Navy maintains 11 nuclear-powered aircraft carriers, including 10 of the Nimitz-class and one of the Gerald R. Ford-class. With 11 carriers in active service, the US Navy has more than the navies of China, the UK, India, France, Italy, and Spain—combined!

In the coming decades, the older Nimitz-class carriers will be replaced by the newer Ford class on a one-for-one basis. The next such replacement is slated for spring 2027, when the USS Nimitz (CVN-68) will be retired from service as the USS John F. Kennedy (CVN-79) is commissioned.

The US Code, specifically 10 USC § 5062, mandates that the US Navy maintain at least 11 operational aircraft carriers in its fleet. Yet the status and actual “availability” of the carriers are not always as cut-and-dry as they seem. Rarely are more than five or six deployed at a time, with the rest undergoing short-term or long-term maintenance in port.

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