Where are America's aircraft carriers?

The USS Enterprise has joined the USS Abraham Lincoln in the Persian Gulf according the this news report.

Here is the Navy’s report on this topic.

Thanks @marinelife Interesting!

Probably as often as not the carriers and associated task force vessels are in their home ports (which are not always continental US ports, by and large), including Japan, Italy, Diego Garcia (Indian Ocean) as well as the expected US ports: Norfolk, Virginia; San Diego, and Bremerton, Washington (I think).

It costs a lot to keep a task force deployed at sea. In times of relative calm, there’s no need for constant patrol and secrecy. (That doesn’t apply to “boomer” submarines!)

Edit: Although they’re pretty well armed against other surface vessels, the carriers are somewhat vulnerable to submarine attack and surface-to-ship missile attack, so it’s unlikely that they will proceed very far or very long without escort vessels and supply ships.

Additional edit: I should have just dittoed @marinelife‘s post.

This is mainly Top Secret information.

It keeps the rest of the world wondering, also.

Lets keep it that way.

I don’t think it is very top secret. Sending carriers to the Persian Gulf serves a potential military purpose. Announcing they are going there serves an actual diplomatic purpose.

I drive by the USS Intrepid every week or so at 44th and West Side Highway here in NYC. Beautiful boat :)

Yes, I don’t think it’s top secret either. It’s pretty hard to sneak around the world in an aircraft carrier. They are difficult to hide.

Their general areas of operrations are made public for various diplomatic reasons. Ususally their exact locations are not revealed without their being a reason, whether it is for humanitarian reasons like after the tsunami in the Indian ocean, or as a big stick to encourage foreign nations to support our point of view.

I think it’s important to note that even if you know where a carrier is, to do any harm to it you’d have to get past the destoyers, cruisers, frigates, subs and many aircraft that escort the carrier. As Tom Clancy once said: “A carrier kill is near impossible”

@wildpotato The Intrepid museum makes me sad.

The Lockheed SR71 and Aérospatiale-BAC Concorde should not have been dicomissioned.

@YoKoolAid in open waters I agree with that quote, when passing through the Straits of Hormuz or another choke point, even the best protected vessel is vulnerable. And you don’t have to kill one to knock it out of action.

@Crashsequence2012 It is safer and cheaper to fly unmanned drones over hostile territory. It is true no SR-71 was lost to enemy fire, but it is only a matter of time until someone gets lucky.

The SR-71:

The most beautiful thing man ever produced.

Recommission some, convert for private use, keep black finish.

They’re here.
They’re there.
They’re everywhere.
So beware!

US aircraft battle groups, of which there are many, are in every ocean everywhere on the globe.