USS George Washington Sinks Decommissioned Ship in Valiant Shield Exercise Near Guam

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Here’s TWZ’s weekly carrier tracker monitoring America’s flattop fleet, including deployed Carrier Strike Groups (CSG) and Amphibious Ready Groups (ARG), using publicly available open-source information. Check out last week’s report here .

Aircraft from Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 5 embarked on USS George Washington , including F/A-18 Super Hornets, F-35C Lightning IIs, and an E-2D Hawkeye, participated in a live-fire sinking exercise (SINKEX) during exercise Valiant Shield in the Western Pacific over the weekend. The ex-USS Juneau , a decommissioned Austin-class amphibious transport dock ship that was involved in both the Vietnam War and Operation Desert Storm, was sent to the bottom by U.S. and partner forces approximately 40 nautical miles northeast of Guam.

George Washington Conducts Sinking Exercise during Valiant Shield 2026. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Nicolas Quezada. Petty Officer 3rd Class Nicolas Quezada

“The evolution brought together air, surface, and subsurface assets in coordinated strikes, allowing crews to sharpen critical skills in weapons employment and target engagement under realistic conditions that no simulator can fully replicate,” according to a press release from Task Force 70 Public Affairs. A torpedo fired by a Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force diesel-electric submarine, JS Jingei , delivered the final blow .

Multilateral, Joint Forces execute sinking exercise during Valiant Shield 2026. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Anthony Vilardi. Seaman Apprentice Anthony Vilardi

A few thousand miles to the east, USS Theodore Roosevelt , with a packed flight deck, arrived at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, on June 23 ahead of the biennial exercise Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2026. The 30th iteration of RIMPAC is the largest ever and will feature 30 partner nations, 31 surface ships, five submarines, 15 national land forces, more than 200 aircraft, and 30,000 personnel in and around the Hawaiian Islands. Roosevelt hosted service members from partner nations and the local community during an open ship tour event over the weekend.

USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) arrives at Pearl Harbor. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Erik Melgar. Petty Officer 1st Class Erik Melgar

Back in the continental United States, USS Nimitz joined 25 other ships for a fleet formation photo exercise (PHOTOEX) in the Atlantic Ocean on June 25 as part of the inaugural Fleet Exercise (FLEETEX) 250. FLEETEX, a large-scale multinational maritime exercise , includes a series of “structured multilateral training events at-sea, aimed at building cohesiveness, validating tactical procedures, and strengthening the interoperability of participating units.” Warships, aircraft, and personnel from the U.S. and 13 allied countries were involved in the two-week exercise that wrapped up today.

USS Nimitz Participates in FLEETEX 250. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Johnathan McCune. Seaman Johnathan McCune

Nimitz pulled into Mayport, Florida, the following day to disembark family and friends who were aboard for a Tiger Cruise. Nimitz and several other participating ships will sail to New York City this week to take part in the seventh International Naval Review 250 from July 3-8.

Notably, Boeing’s MQ-25A Stingray demonstrator drone was spotted on Nimitz’s flight deck, which you can read about in detail here , and the C-2A Greyhound made its last trap aboard the flattop, marking the end of an era in naval aviation as the CMV-22B Osprey takes the reins for the “no fail” carrier onboard delivery mission.

MQ-25 Stingray demonstrator drone, also known as T-1, spotted embarked on USS Nimitz. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Gina M. Gallia. Petty Officer 3rd Class Gina Gallia

USS Dwight D. Eisenhower continues working up off the east coast and was most recently underway in the Jacksonville Operating Area with her AIS transponder turned on . Eisenhower is conducting carrier qualifications and supporting East Coast Fleet Replacement Squadrons, according to DVIDS . On the west coast, USS Carl Vinson got underway for training on June 25.

IKE Conducts Carrier Qualifications in Atlantic Ocean. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Miguel Santiago. Petty Officer 2nd Class Miguel Santiago

Two aircraft carriers remain on station in the Middle East: USS Abraham Lincoln and USS George H.W. Bush . Both carriers were spotted conducting flight operations over the past week in the U.S. Central Command-5th Fleet area of responsibility (AOR). With the blockade lifted while negotiations are ongoing – and both sides still exchanging weekend tit-for-tat blows – neither appears to be leaving the AOR, for now.

Abraham Lincoln Conducts Flight Deck Operations. U.S. Navy photo. U.S. Central Command Public Affa

Note: Positions are general approximations. Non-deployed LHA/LHD amphibious warships are not shown.

Contact the author: ian.ellis-jones@teamrecurrent.io

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