The aircraft carrier USS Nimitz will briefly stop in San Diego Tuesday, making its final visit to its former homeport before it eventually heads to the East Coast for decommissioning, according to the Navy.
The ship’s arrival time was not announced.
The Navy’s oldest active carrier pulled into San Diego in early December at the end of what was expected to be its final deployment after 50 years of service. But the Navy said in a statement Sunday, “The ship is deploying to the U.S. Southern Command area of responsibility this spring as part of U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command/U.S. 4th Fleet’s Southern Seas 2026 deployment.
“This coincides with our scheduled homeport shift to Norfolk, VA in preparation for the ship’s deactivation. Detailed planning is currently underway for Nimitz to visit several partner states on the ship’s circumnavigation of the continent of South America, enroute to its new homeport.”
The 24-story carrier was homeported at Naval Air Station North Island from late 2001 to early 2012, during which time it supported U.S. military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.