The USNI News Fleet and Marine Tracker is sponsored by CNA. These are the approximate positions of the U.S. Navy’s deployed carrier strike groups and amphibious ready groups throughout the world as of Sept. 24, 2018, based on Navy and public data. In cases where a CSG or ARG is conducting disaggregated operations, the map reflects the location of the capital ship.

Total U.S. Navy Battle Force:

285

Ships Underway

Ships Deployed by Fleet

In the Western Pacific

The Ronald Reagan Carrier Strike Group (CSG) is underway in the Philippine Sea after Exercise Valiant Shield, which ran Sept. 16 to 23 in the Mariana Islands Range Complex – including exercises in Guam.

“Valiant Shield is a U.S.-only, biennial field training exercise (FTX) with a focus on integration of joint training in a blue-water environment among U.S. forces,” the service said.

The 2018 exercise included maritime security operations, amphibious operations, anti-submarine and air-defense exercises. In addition to Carrier Strike Group 5, units from Submarine Group 7 participated in in the sinking exercise of the former USS St. Louis (LKA-116). Air, subsurface and surface assets participated in the SINKEX.

“The exercise – a high-end, U.S.-only follow-up to the large-scale multi-national Rim of the Pacific exercise every other year – features more than a dozen ships, 160 aircraft and 15,000 personnel from all four military branches. This is the seventh iteration of the exercise, which began in 2006,” reported USNI News last week.

Naval forces participating in Valiant Shield 2018 included:

• USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76) and Carrier Air Wing 5
• Guided-missile cruiser USS Chancellorsville (CG-62)
• Guided-missile cruiser USS Antietam (CG-54)
• Guided-missile destroyer USS Milius (DDG-69)
• Guided-missile destroyer USS Shoup (DDG-86)
• Guided-missile destroyer USS Benfold (DDG-65)
• Guided-missile destroyer USS Decatur (DDG-73)
• Dry cargo ship USNS Cesar Chavez (T-AKE-14)
• Maritime prepositioning ship USNS 2ND LT John P. Bobo (T-AK-3008)
• Large, medium-speed, roll-on/roll-off ship USNS Dahl (T-AKR-312)
• Fleet replenishment oiler USNS Rappahannock (T-AO-204)
• Aviation Logistics Support (Roll-on/Roll-off) Container Ship SS Curtiss (T-AVB-4)
• P-8A Poseidons from Patrol Squadron (VP) 8 and VP-26, out of Jacksonville, Fla.
• P-3C Orion anti-submarine and maritime patrol aircraft from VP-40 and VP-46 and EP-3E Aries II from Fleet Air Reconnaissance Squadron (VQ) 1, all under Patrol and Reconnaissance Wing 10 in Whidbey Island, Wash.; along with personnel from the air wing and Task Force 72
• MH-60S Knighthawk helicopters from Helicopter Sea Combat (HSC) Squadron 25, the Navy’s only forward-deployed expeditionary squadron of MH-60Ss, which operates out of Andersen Air Force Base in Guam
• F-35B Lightning II Joint Strike Fighters from Marine Fighter Attack Squadrons (VMFA) 121
• F/A-18D Hornets from VMFA (all weather) 225
• MV-22 Ospreys from Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron (VMM) 265
• A detachment from Marine Air Control Group 18
• KC-130J Hercules tankers from Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron (VMGR) 152
• Marine Wing Support Squadron (MWSS) 171
• Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron (MALS) 12
• Marine Air Command Squadron (MACS) 4
• Personnel from 1st Marine Aircraft Wing (MAW), III Marine Expeditionary Force (MEF), and Marine Aircraft Group 12
• Personnel from and Task Force 75
• Coastal Riverine Squadron 2
• Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit 5
• 30th Naval Construction Regiment
• Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 4
• Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 11
• Underwater Construction Team 2
• Mobile Dive and Salvage Unit 1
• Construction Battalion Maintenance Unit 303
• Navy Expeditionary Intelligence Command

Carrier Air Wing 5 is embarked on Reagan. The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Milius (DDG-69)and the Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Chancellorsville (CG-62) – and several other FDNF ships – are underway with Reagan.

Carrier Air Wing 5

CVW 5, based at Naval Air Facility Atsugi and Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni in Japan, is embarked aboard Ronald Reagan and includes a total of nine squadrons and detachments:

• The “Royal Maces” of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 27 from Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan
• The “Diamondbacks” of VFA-102 from MCAS Iwakuni, Japan
• The “Eagles” of VFA-115 from MCAS Iwakuni, Japan
• The “Dambusters” of VFA-195 from MCAS Iwakuni, Japan
• The “Shadowhawks” of Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 141 from MCAS Iwakuni, Japan
• The “Tiger Tails” of Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron (VAW) 125 from MCAS Iwakuni, Japan
• The “Providers” of Fleet Logistics Support Squadron (VRC) 30 from Naval Air Facility Atsugi, Japan
• The “Golden Falcons” of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 12 Naval Air Facility Atsugi, Japan
• The “Saberhawks” of Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 77 from Naval Air Facility Atsugi, Japan

USS Wasp (LHD-1) Expeditionary Strike Group (ESG), with embarked 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), is in the East China Sea.

In the Gulf of Aden

The Essex Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) – which includes Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Essex (LHD-2), San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock USS Anchorage (LPD-23) and Whidbey Island-class amphibious dock landing ship USS Rushmore (LSD-47) – and embarked 13th MEU are in the Gulf of Aden.

In the Eastern Pacific

USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70) and USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD-6) are underway in the Southern California Operating Areas off of San Diego, Calif.

In the North Atlantic

The Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group (CSG) is now operating in the U.S. 6th Fleet area of responsibility in the North Atlantic.

Aircraft carrier:

USS Harry S. Truman (CVN-75), homeported in Norfolk, Va.

Carrier Air Wing 1

CVW 1 from Naval Air Station Oceana, Va., is embarked aboard Harry S. Truman and includes nine squadrons and detachments:

• The “Red Rippers” of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 11 from Naval Air Station Oceana, Va.
• The “Checkmates” of VFA-211 from Naval Air Station Oceania, Va.
• The “Sunliners” of VFA-81 from Naval Air Station Oceana, Va.
• The “Knighthawks” of VFA-136 from Naval Air Station Lemoore, Calif.
• The “Rooks” of Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 137 from Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, Wash.
• The “Seahawks” of Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron (VAW) 126 from Naval Air Station Norfolk, Va.
• The “Rawhides” of Fleet Logistics Support Squadron (VRC) 40 from Naval Air Station Norfolk, Va.
• The “Dragon Slayers” of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 11 from Naval Air Station Norfolk, Va.
• The “Proud Warriors” of Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM 72) from Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Fla.

Destroyer Squadron 28

The leadership of DESRON 28 is embarked aboard Harry S. Truman and commands the guided-missile destroyers that are operating as part of the CSG.

• USS Farragut (DDG-99), homeported in Mayport, Fla.
• USS Forrest Sherman (DDG-98), homeported in Norfolk, Va.
• USS Bulkeley (DDG-84), homeported in Norfolk, Va.
• USS Arleigh Burke (DDG-51), homeported in Norfolk, Va.
• USS The Sullivans (DDG-68), homeported in Mayport, Fla.
• USS Jason Dunham (DDG-109), homeported in Norfolk, Va.

Guided-missile Cruiser

USS Normandy (CG-60), homeported in Norfolk, Va.

In the Western Atlantic

USS George H.W. Bush (CVN-77) remains underway this morning in the Virginia Cape Operating Areas. According to the Navy, “GHWB is underway in the Atlantic Ocean conducting routine training exercises to maintain carrier readiness.” This ongoing training at sea comes after a one-day standdown of flight operations after a sailor was killed on the ship in a flight deck mishap. Airman Apprentice Joseph Min Naglak died when he was struck by the propeller of an E-2C Hawkeye after he secured the plane to the deck.

Naval Air Force Atlantic spokesman Cmdr. Dave Hecht told USNI News that “BUSH stood down flight ops for approximately 24-hours. While that time was used to investigate the mishap, it was also done to give the crew a chance to mourn their shipmate’s passing. No other standdown is planned.”

In addition to these major formations, not shown are thousands of others serving in submarines, individual surface ships, aircraft squadrons, SEALs, Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Forces, Coast Guard cutters and more serving throughout the globe.