USNI News Fleet and Marine Tracker: Dec. 4, 2023

These are the approximate positions of the U.S. Navy’s deployed carrier strike groups and amphibious ready groups throughout the world as of Dec. 4, 2023, based on Navy and public data. In cases where a CSG or ARG is conducting disaggregated operations, the chart reflects the location of the capital ship. This post has been updated to include more information on deployed and underway ships.

Ships Underway

In Japan

USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76) remains in its homeport of Yokosuka. USS America (LHA-6) is in Sasebo.

In the Philippine Sea

USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70) and the Carl Vinson Carrier Strike Group are in the Philippine Sea.

Last week, the Carl Vinson Carrier Strike Group carried out a trilateral drill in the East China Sea with the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force and the Republic of Korea Navy as a deterrence display following North Korea’s launch of a reconnaissance satellite on Nov. 21. USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70) and destroyers USS Kidd (DDG-100) and USS Sterret (DDG-104) carried out the drill, with JMSDF destroyer JS Kirisame (DD-104) and ROKN destroyer ROKS Sejong the Great (DDG-991), according to a JMSDF news release on Nov 27.

According to a Japan Joint Staff Office (JSO) release on Nov 26, the exercise “demonstrates the strong commitment of the three countries to secure a free and open international order based on the rule of law.”

Carrier Strike Group 1

Carrier

USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70), homeported at San Diego, Calif.

Carrier Air Wing 2

• The “Bounty Hunters” of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 2 – F/A-18F – from Naval Air Station Lemoore, Calif.
• The “Stingers” of VFA 113 – F/A-18E – from Naval Air Station Lemoore
• The “Warhawks” of VFA 97 – F-35C – from Naval Air Station Lemoore
• The “Golden Dragons” of VFA 192 – F/A-18E – from Naval Air Station Lemoore
• The “Gauntlets” of Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 136 – EA-18G – from Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, Wash.
• The “Black Eagles” of Airborne Command and Control Squadron (VAW) 113 – E-2D – from Naval Air Station Point Mugu, Calif.
• The “Titans” of Fleet Logistics Multi-Mission Squadron (VRM) 30 – CMV-22B – from Naval Air Station North Island, Calif.
• The “Blue Hawks” of Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 78 – MH-60R – from Naval Air Station North Island
• The “Black Knights” of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 4 – MH-60S – from Naval Air Station North Island

Cruiser

• USS Princeton (CG-59), homeported at Naval Station San Diego, Calif.

Destroyer Squadron 1

Destroyer Squadron 1 is based in San Diego and is embarked on Carl Vinson.

• USS Hopper (DDG-70) homeported at Naval Station Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.
• USS Kidd (DDG-100), homeported at Naval Station Everett, Wash.
• USS Sterett (DDG-104), homeported at Naval Station San Diego, Calif.
• USS William P. Lawrence (DDG-110), homeported at Naval Station Pearl Harbor.

In the South China Sea

China accused USS Gabrielle Giffords (LCS-10) of violating Chinese sovereignty by sailing near Second Thomas Shoal in the Spratly Islands.

Giffords “illegally broke into the waters adjacent to Ren’ai Reef in China’s Nansha Islands without the approval of the Chinese government,” according to a statement by China’s Southern Theater Command. “The United States has deliberately disrupted the South China Sea, seriously violated China’s sovereignty and security, severely undermined regional peace and stability, and seriously violated international law and basic norms governing international relations.”

U.S. 7th Fleet responded by saying the ship “was conducting routine operations in international waters in the South China Sea, consistent with international law. These operations demonstrate we are committed to upholding a free and open Indo-Pacific region where all nations, large and small, are security in their sovereignty, can resolve disputes without coercion, and have the freedom to navigate and fly consistent with international laws, rules and norms.”

Second Thomas Shoal is claimed by multiple countries, including China and the Philippines. The Armed Forces of the Philippines maintains an outpost on Second Thomas Shoal – BRP Sierra Madre (LS-57).

In the Western Pacific

USNS Mercy (T-AH-19) departed Honiara, Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands, as Pacific Partnership 24-1 (PP24-1) concluded 14 days of medical, humanitarian and disaster response, engineering, and host nation outreach efforts in the Solomon Islands, closing out its second mission stop on Dec. 3.

Due to the success of Pacific Partnership 2022, the Solomon Islands government invited USNS Mercy (T-AH 19) to return for PP24-1, in which the team supported the Solomon Islands’ medical infrastructure by augmenting local clinics and the National Referral Hospital (NRH) during the 2023 Pacific Games.

Following the devastation of the Dec. 2004 tsunami that swept through parts of South and Southeast Asia, Pacific Partnership began in 2006 as an annual military-led humanitarian mission.

“Each year the mission team works collectively with host and partner nations to enhance regional interoperability and disaster response capabilities, increase security and stability in the region, and foster new and enduring friendships in the Indo-Pacific,” according to a statement from U.S. Indo-Pacific Command.

In the Eastern Mediterranean Sea

USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) arrived Souda Bay, Crete, on Saturday for a scheduled port visit. The carrier is expected to remain until Dec 6, according to local press.

USS Normandy (CG 60), part of the Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group (GRFCSG), arrived in Piraeus, Greece, for a regularly scheduled port visit on Dec 3.

The Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group’s presence in the Eastern Mediterranean is meant to deter Hezbollah, Iran and other actors from joining the war between Hamas and Israel. Hamas is a State Department-designated terrorist group that started ruling the occupied territory Gaza after Israel withdrew troops and settlers in 2005.

Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin has twice extended the Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group’s deployment in the Mediterranean, USNI News reported.

Also in the Eastern Mediterranean is the U.S. 6th Fleet command ship USS Mount Whitney (LCC-20) which has been underway in the Eastern Med since right after the Israel-Hamas conflict began. Mount Whitney, forward-deployed from Gaeta, Italy, operates with a combined crew of U.S. sailors and Military Sealift Command civil service mariners in U.S. 6th Fleet. The ship arrived in Larnaca, Cyprus, for a scheduled port visit on Nov. 30.

Some ships that deployed with the strike group returned to their homeports over the weekend. USS Ramage (DDG-61) returned on Sunday to Naval Station Norfolk, Va., according to the Navy.

San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock USS Mesa Verde (LPD-19) and embarked 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable) Bravo Command Element are also in the Mediterranean Sea. Mesa Verde is part of the Bataan Amphibious Ready Group (ARG). USS Bataan (LHD-5) and USS Carter Hall (LSD-50), the other two ships in the Bataan ARG, are currently operating in U.S. 5th Fleet.

Carrier Strike Group 12

Carrier

USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78), homeported at Norfolk, Va.

Carrier Air Wing 8

• The “Ragin’ Bulls” of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 37 – F/A-18E – from Naval Air Station Oceana, Va.
• The “Blacklions” of VFA 213 – F/A-18F – from Naval Air Station Oceana
• The “Golden Warriors” of VFA 87 – F/A-18E – from Naval Air Station Oceana
• The “Tomcatters” of VFA 31 – F/A-18E – from Naval Air Station Oceana
• The “Gray Wolves” of Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 142 – EA-18G – from Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, Wash.
• The “Bear Aces” of Airborne Command and Control Squadron (VAW) 124 – E-2D – from Naval Air Station Norfolk, Va.
• The “Rawhides” of Fleet Logistics Support Squadron (VRC) 40 – C-2A – from Naval Air Station Norfolk
• The “Spartans” of Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 70 – MH-60R – from Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Fla.
• The “Tridents” of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 9 – MH-60S – from Naval Air Station Norfolk

Cruiser

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

Destroyer Squadron 2

Destroyer Squadron 2 is based in Norfolk, Va., and is embarked on Ford.

• USS Ramage (DDG-61) homeported at Norfolk.
• USS McFaul (DDG-74) homeported at Norfolk.
• USS Thomas Hudner (DDG-116), homeported at Mayport, Fla.

In the Red Sea

USS Carney (DDG-64) shot down three drones in the Red Sea on Sunday while responding to distress calls from several commercial vessels that were attacked by missiles originating in Yemen, according to U.S. Central Command. U.S. destroyers operating in the region have shot down multiple drones over the last few weeks amid an uptick in incidents that have coincided with Israel’s strikes on Hamas. Israel’s strikes have been in retaliation for the terrorist group’s Oct. 7 attacks that killed approximately 1,200 people in southern Israel.

A CENTCOM statement described the Sunday attacks as “a direct threat to international commerce and maritime security. They have jeopardized the lives of international crews representing multiple countries around the world. We also have every reason to believe that these attacks, while launched by the Houthis in Yemen, are fully enabled by Iran. The United States will consider all appropriate responses in full coordination with its international allies and partners,” the statement reads.

USS Carney also downed an Iranian-produced drone last Wednesday while escorting a U.S. oiler and a U.S.-flagged commercial ship, U.S. Central Command said in a statement on X, the site formerly known as Twitter.

Central Command identified an Iranian-produced drone, shot from a Houthi-controlled area of Yemen, as a KAS-04 unmanned aerial vehicle, according to the CENTCOM statement. While the target is unknown, the drone came toward Carney, which shot it down over the Red Sea, Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh told reporters last week.

The Bataan Amphibious Ready Group is in the Red Sea. Bataan and Carter Hall, with elements of the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit embarked, are in the northern Red Sea as part of the U.S. naval buildup in the region.

Bataan and Carter Hall entered the Red Sea from the Gulf of Aden on Oct. 27, according to ship spotters. The 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit is embarked across Bataan, Carter Hall and Mesa Verde.

Among many missions for which Marines are trained is evacuating civilians in conflict zones. USNI News visited the unit in April during an non-combatant Evacuation Operation (NEO) in North Carolina.

Embarked units include Amphibious Squadron 8, 26th MEU (SOC), Fleet Surgical Team 8, Tactical Air Control Squadron 21, Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 26, Assault Craft Unit 2, Assault Craft Unit 4, and Beach Master Unit 2. The 26th MEU (SOC), based at Camp Lejeune, N.C., includes Battalion Landing Team 1st Battalion, 6th Marines; Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 162 (Reinforced) and Combat Logistics Battalion 22.

In the Persian Gulf

Aircraft from Dwight D Eisenhower Carrier Air Wing intercepts an Iranian UAV operating in an unsafe and unprofessional manner during aircraft carrier flight operations in the Arabian Gulf. The U.S. Navy will continue to fly and sail where international law allows. pic.twitter.com/66ojHTkrMS

— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) December 2, 2023

USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69) continues to operate in the Persian Gulf, where Eisenhower’s carrier air wing intercepted an Iranian UAV operating in an unsafe and unprofessional manner during aircraft carrier flight operations.

This is the first time a U.S. aircraft carrier has sailed in the Persian Gulf since USS Nimitz (CVN-68) operated there in late 2020, according to the USNI News Fleet and Marine Tracker. The other ships accompanying Ike were guided-missile cruiser USS Philippine Sea (CG 58), guided-missile destroyers USS Gravely (DDG 107) and USS Stehem (DDG-63), and the French frigate Languedoc (D 653).

USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69) deployed on Oct. 14, while several of the carrier’s escorts left on Oct. 13. The carrier transited the Strait of Gibraltar on Oct. 28 and transited the Suez Canal on Nov. 4.

U.S. Central Command announced that an Ohio-class submarine arrived in its area of responsibility earlier last month. The submarine was later confirmed as USS Florida (SSG-728). These SSGNs carry up to 154 Tomahawk Land Attack Missiles.

Carrier Strike Group 2

Carrier

USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69), homeported at Norfolk, Va.

Carrier Air Wing 3

• The “Gunslingers” of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 105 – F/A-18E – from Naval Air Station Oceana, Va.
• The “Fighting Swordsmen” of VFA 32 – F/A-18F – from Naval Air Station Oceana.
• The “Rampagers” of VFA 83 – F/A-18E – from Naval Air Station Oceana.
• The “Wildcats” of VFA 131 – F/A-18E – from Naval Air Station Oceana.
• The “Zappers” of Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 130 – EA-18G – from Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, Wash.
• The “Screwtops” of Airborne Command and Control Squadron (VAW) 123 – E-2D – from Naval Air Station Norfolk, Va.
• The “Rawhides” of Fleet Logistics Support Squadron (VRC) 40 – C-2A – from Naval Air Station Norfolk.
• The “Swamp Foxes” of Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 74 – MH-60R – from Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Fla.
• The “Dusty Dogs” of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 7 – MH-60S – from Naval Station Norfolk.

Cruiser

• USS Philippine Sea (CG-58), homeported at Naval Station Norfolk, Va.

Destroyer Squadron 22

Destroyer Squadron 22 is based in Norfolk, Va., and is embarked on Eisenhower.

• USS Gravely (DDG-107), homeported at Naval Station Norfolk, Va.
• USS Mason (DDG-87), homeported at Naval Station Mayport, Fla.

U.S. Coast Guard Sentinel-class Fast Response Cutters (FRCs) are forward-deployed to the region under Patrol Forces Southwest Asia (PATFORSWA). PATFORSWA deploys Coast Guard personnel and ships with U.S. and regional naval forces throughout the Middle East. Initially deployed in 2003 to support Operation Iraqi Freedom, PATFORSWA is now a permanent presence based out of the Kingdom of Bahrain.

In the Middle Pacific

After a port call in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, USCGC Polar Star (WAGB-10) is on its way to Sydney, Australia, expected to arrive Dec 10.

In the Eastern Pacific

USCGC Healy (WAGB-20) transited the Panama Canal and is en route Seattle, Wash., expected to arrive on Dec. 18. Healy is conducting a circumnavigation deployment that started in Seattle.

USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71) was spotted heading outbound from San Diego, Calif., on Nov. 24 to resume training and conduct carrier qualifications this week off the coast in the Southern California Operating Areas.

In addition to these major formations, not shown are others serving in submarines, individual surface ships, aircraft squadrons, SEALs, Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Forces, Seabees, EOD Mobile Units and more serving throughout the globe.