MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

USS Nimitz to operate in Uruguayan waters on final deployment before decommissioning

The Latin American voyage will conclude when the Nimitz reaches the US Atlantic coast to begin the decommissioning process.

The nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN-68), flagship of the United States Navy for more than five decades, will arrive in Uruguayan waters in the coming weeks as part of the “Southern Seas 2026” deployment, the US Fourth Fleet announced.

The mission, the eleventh of its kind since 2007, will include passing exercises and joint operations with the naval forces of ten Latin American countries: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Mexico, El Salvador, Guatemala and Uruguay. Port visits are planned in Brazil, Chile, Panama and Jamaica. Uruguay will take part in interoperability exercises and expert exchanges, though no port call on Uruguayan soil has been confirmed.

“The Southern Seas 2026 deployment provides a unique opportunity to enhance interoperability and increase proficiency with our partner-nation forces across the maritime domain,” said Rear Admiral Carlos Sardiello, commander of US Naval Forces Southern Command. “Deployments like this demonstrate our unwavering commitment to ensuring a secure and stable Western Hemisphere,” he added.

The Nimitz departed its home base in Bremerton, Washington, on March 7, accompanied by the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Gridley (DDG-101). The strike group will circumnavigate the South American continent, including passage through the Strait of Magellan, one of the most challenging maritime routes in the hemisphere.

The voyage carries historic significance: it will be one of the Nimitz's final operational deployments before decommissioning. Commissioned in 1975, the carrier took part in the United States' major military operations over the past decades, from the Gulf War in 1991 to the conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq. In 2025, it completed its final Indo-Pacific tour, a nine-month deployment covering more than 82,000 nautical miles and 8,500 flight sorties, according to CNN en Español.

Its retirement was originally scheduled for 2026 but has been postponed to 2027 to coincide with the commissioning of its replacement, the USS John F. Kennedy, of the new Gerald Ford class. The Latin American voyage will conclude when the Nimitz reaches the US Atlantic coast to begin the decommissioning process.

At 332 metres in length, with a displacement of 87,900 tonnes and powered by two nuclear reactors, the Nimitz carries an air wing of six squadrons operating F/A-18E/F Super Hornet fighters, EA-18G Growler electronic warfare aircraft and MH-60R/S Sea Hawk helicopters. Its crew exceeds 5,000 personnel, including ship's company and the embarked air wing.