On 8 May 2004, following a five-month post-shakedown availability,
Ronald Reagan received her second flight deck certification covering all flight operations, including aircraft launch and recovery, safety, crash and salvage, fuel certifications, and training.
Ronald Reagan then transited from Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia, through the
Strait of Magellan to her new homeport,
Naval Air Station North Island, San Diego, with Captain
James A. Symonds in command.
Carrier Air Wing Eleven, normally assigned to , embarked 25% of its total strength for the transit. The squadrons making the transit were
VFA-14 and
VFA-41 flying the
F/A-18E/F Super Hornet,
VAW-117 flying the
E-2C Hawkeye 2000, HS-6 flying the
SH-60F Seahawk, and
VRC-30 flying the
C-2A Greyhound. The ship visited
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on 5 June 2004. During the first evening after arrival, the ship's namesake, former President Reagan, died. A ceremony in his honor was held onboard later that evening, after the US national anthem was publicly played. Upon leaving Rio,
Ronald Reagan transited the Strait of Magellan on 20–21 June and subsequently visited
Valparaíso, Chile, and
Callao, Peru, before arriving in San Diego on 23 July 2004. From 1 October 2004,
Ronald Reagan was assigned to
Carrier Strike Group Fifteen. During an anti-submarine warfare exercise in 2005,
HSwMS Gotland, on loan from the
Swedish Navy, managed to score multiple simulated attacks on
Ronald Reagan while undetected, showcasing that the submarine was in a position to sink the carrier. This prompted the U.S. Navy to extend their lease of the submarine following the exercise, for further study.
2006 maiden deployment Ronald Reagan, with
Terry B. Kraft in command, departed San Diego on 4 January 2006 on her maiden deployment conducting naval operations in support of
Operation Iraqi Freedom and
Operation Enduring Freedom, as well as maritime security operations in the
Persian Gulf. On 28 January 2006, an F/A-18 Hornet strike fighter attempting landing aboard
Ronald Reagan crashed into the ship's
flight deck while the ship was about southeast of
Brisbane,
Queensland. The aircraft struck the ramp, missed the third cable, and skidded overboard. The pilot ejected safely, but the aircraft was lost. While in Brisbane, the carrier's main condensers became clogged with of
jellyfish, causing problems in the main machinery rooms and hindering cooling of the main reactors. The ship entered the Persian Gulf on 22 February 2006, and returned from deployment on 6 July 2006.
2007 surge deployment Ronald Reagan and her
Carrier Strike Group (CSG) departed North Island, Coronado in San Diego on 27 January 2007 on an unscheduled surge deployment to the Western Pacific, in place of the forward deployed carrier while she underwent maintenance in Japan. On 20 April 2007,
Ronald Reagan and her CSG returned to Coronado. The "surge deployment" was part of the Navy's Fleet Response Plan, which provides the US with the ability to respond to any global commitment with flexible and sustainable forces and the ability to rapidly respond to a range of situations on short notice. In January 2007,
Ronald Reagan earned the 2006
Commander, Naval Air Forces Pacific Carrier
Battle Efficiency "E" award for the West Coast, the first Battle "E" ever for the carrier.
Ronald Reagan returned to Naval Air Station North Island on 20 April 2007, following a three-month deployment in support of operations in the Western Pacific. On 15 December 2007, the carrier answered a distress call from a cruise ship off the coast of
Baja California. An
SH-60 helicopter airlifted an
Illinois teenager whose
appendix had ruptured while on a Mexican cruise to
Ronald Reagan, where the ship's surgeon performed an emergency appendectomy.
2008 deployment Ronald Reagan, with CVW-14 embarked, departed San Diego on 19 May 2008, for a scheduled
7th Fleet and
5th Fleet deployment. The
Ronald Reagan CSG performed humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations in the
Philippines on 24 June 2008 after that country was devastated by
Typhoon Fengshen, that killed hundreds from the central island regions and the main island of
Luzon. The
typhoon also capsized the passenger ferry MV
Princess of the Stars. Working in support of the Armed Forces of the Philippines,
Ronald Reagan and her escorts of CSG 7 focused their efforts on the island of
Panay in the
Central Visayas. For eight days,
SH-60 Seahawk helicopters and
C-2A Greyhound aircraft of the
Ronald Reagan CSG helped deliver more than of rice, fresh water, and other supplies to areas of Panay, which were not reachable by truck due to flooded roads. The mission in Panay earned the entire strike group the Navy's
Humanitarian Service Medal. The CSG arrived in the
U.S. Fifth Fleet area on 28 August 2008, where she launched more than 1,150 sorties into
Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF).
Ronald Reagan returned to San Diego on 25 November 2008. On 25 September 2008,
Ronald Reagan, while underway in the
Gulf of Oman, played host to the rock band
Creed. Over 1500 members of the ship's crew crowded the flight deck to watch the band perform.
Ronald Reagan received word in February 2009 that the ship had won her second
Battle Efficiency Award.
2009 deployment On 28 May 2009,
Ronald Reagan deployed with Carrier Air Wing 14 to the 7th and 5th Fleet Areas of Responsibility.
Ronald Reagan relieved the CSG and launched her first sorties in support of OEF on 6 July.
Ronald Reagan returned to homeport on 21 October after a five-month deployment.
2010 In early 2010,
Ronald Reagan was awarded the 2009 Chief of Naval Operations Afloat
Safety "S" Award, and the 2009 Pacific Fleet
Battle "E" for combat efficiency. The Battle "E" award was
Ronald Reagans second consecutive and third Battle E in four years. On 19 May 2010,
Norfolk Naval Shipyard completed the six-month Planned Incremental Availability (PIA) maintenance cycle on
Ronald Reagan. This PIA project was under budget, and marked both Norfolk Naval Shipyard's largest off-site availability, as well as the largest public-sector work package ever performed on an aircraft carrier berthed at
Naval Air Station North Island,
Coronado, California. During the maintenance period,
Ronald Reagan received technological upgrades for her next deployment and subsequent operations. Refurbishments included high-tech combat systems and firefighting equipment, improved ship's laundry services and living spaces. This PIA maintenance project was an example of the 'One Shipyard' concept wherein the US Navy mobilizes its work force across its various shipyards to better meet fleet readiness requirements and to stabilize a vital workforce base for the US defense industry. While Norfolk Naval Shipyard (NNSY) was the project lead, significant work was done by its partners:
Puget Sound Naval Shipyard & Intermediate Maintenance Facility (PSNS), Southwest Regional Maintenance Center (SRMC), and
Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding (NGSB). During peak manning, about 1,400 worked the project on a daily basis. This included rough 625 NNSY personnel, 165 PSNS employees, and 600 from SWRMC/NGSB. This was the final phase of the PIA, and was conducted to assess the carriers material readiness to return to the operational fleet. Embarked squadrons included:
Helicopter Antisubmarine Squadron 4 (HS-4),
Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 323 (VMFA-323),
Strike Fighter Squadron 154 (VFA-154),
Strike Fighter Squadron 147 (VFA-147),
Strike Fighter Squadron 146 (VFA-146),
Airborne Early Warning Squadron 113 (VAW-113) and
Fleet Logistics Squadron 30 (VRC-30). The certification included a full evaluation of the arresting gear, steam catapults, and flight-deck personnel.
Ronald Reagans air department was assessed on the ability to maintain a fully operational flight deck and respond to simulated mishaps.
2011 deployment The ship departed for an Asian deployment on 2 February 2011. On 11 March 2011,
Ronald Reagan was in the Korean peninsula region for a long-planned exercise off
Korea, but was redirected towards Japan to
provide support after the massive
2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami. The ship, stationed off
Sendai, served as a refueling station for Japanese coast guard and military helicopters on relief missions in the area. US Navy helicopters also flew relief missions from the carrier. On 13 March 2011, the ship measured 0.6
millirem/hr direct gamma shine from clouds 130 miles (≈210 km) from the
Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. Members of the crew later blamed their cancers on the event. On 14 March 2011, the ship was forced to relocate to avoid a radioactive plume from the
Fukushima I nuclear accidents which had contaminated 17 crew members of three helicopter crews. On 23 March,
Ronald Reagans crew performed radiation
decontamination by scrubbing down any surface that could have been contaminated, including the island superstructure and flight deck, to remove any potential radiation hazards. On 4 April 2011, Japan's minister of defense,
Toshimi Kitazawa, accompanied by US ambassador to Japan
John Roos, visited the ship to thank the crew for their assistance as part of Operation Tomodachi. Said Kitazawa, "I have never been more encouraged by and proud of the fact that the United States is our ally." The ship returned to San Diego on 8 September 2011. In January 2011, the Navy announced that the aircraft carrier would be transferred to the Puget Sound Naval Ship Yard in Bremerton, Washington, for scheduled repair and maintenance beginning January 2012. until returning to her homeport of San Diego on 21 March 2013. For the sailors being relocated, the Navy transported many privately owned vehicles on the deck of the ship as a cost-saving measure.
2014 On 14 January 2014, the Navy announced that
Ronald Reagan would replace her sister ship as the
Seventh Fleet forward deployed carrier at
Yokosuka, Japan in 2015. Also in 2014, a USS Ronald Reagan commemorative challenge coin was created which is a symbolic 76 cents (CVN-76). The back has CPO 365 (Chief Petty Officer), a symbolic 50 stars wraps around the inside of the coin, and the text: "If you want it, you gotta earn it" is along the bottom of the coin. Centered is a US Navy rank which is half shiny silver and half shiny gold, along with the US Navy anchor logo.
2015 homeport change and patrol In 2015,
Ronald Reagan replaced
George Washington as the US Navy's only forward deployed aircraft carrier. In August, after a short patrol in the Pacific,
George Washington docked in
Naval Base San Diego alongside
Ronald Reagan. A hull swap occurred over ten days, in which the crews assigned to each carrier switched ships. This was done to minimize the number of sailors who would need to move between San Diego to Japan due to the change in homeports of the two carriers.
Ronald Reagan effectively took her new place as the flagship of
Carrier Strike Group 5 and
Carrier Air Wing Five (CVW-5). On 1 October 2015, she arrived in her newest homeport,
Yokosuka in
Kanagawa Prefecture. CVW-5 was based at
Naval Air Facility Atsugi, which is also located in Kanagawa Prefecture. The ship was open for the public to tour on 12 October. On 29 October two Russian
Tupolev Tu-142 bombers flew within one mile of the ship at low altitude. Four F/A-18 Super Hornets were scrambled in response. The ship conducted fleet exercises with the
Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force and
Republic of Korea Navy. During a fleet review with the JMSDF, the
Prime Minister of Japan Shinzo Abe visited the ship. The ship returned to Yokosuka on 3 December. and was deployed with CSG 5 to the South China Sea before an international tribunal released its decision regarding a China and Philippines conflict. The ship returned after a 53-day cruise for a mid-cruise break and conducted
Board of Inspection and Survey (INSURV) inspections designed to ensure the ship would last her full 50-year lifespan. She temporarily left port due to
Typhoon Lionrock. After completing INSURV, she returned to sea on 3 September. The ship then participated in
Exercise Valiant Shield 2016 before making a port call at Guam and participating in Invincible Spirit, a joint exercise with South Korean forces in the
Sea of Japan and the
Yellow Sea.
Ronald Reagan returned to Yokosuka on 21 November.
2017 From 10 January, the ship began a period of Selected Restricted Availability with a focus on upgrading parts of the ship including the flight deck, hangar bays, and general living spaces. On 19 April the ship was visited by Vice President
Mike Pence. On 7 May, the ship put to sea for sea trials before her annual patrol. After the short sea trials,
Ronald Reagan returned to port, then left again on her annual cruise on 16 May to relieve her sister ship , which had been deployed near North Korea in light of political tensions. She visited Singapore in June and then sailed to Australia where she participated in
Exercise Talisman Saber with Australian and other forces in July. She then made a port visit to
Brisbane before returning to Japan on 9 August. On 8 September she departed Yokosuka again to conduct patrols off Korea after the North Korean
missile launch over Japan and
nuclear test. On 2 October the ship visited
Hong Kong. She then participated in drills with the
Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force off Okinawa. After that,
Ronald Reagan participated in drills off the Korean peninsula with the
South Korean Navy. After the drills, she made a port visit at
Busan in South Korea. On 29 October,
Ronald Reagan scrambled an undisclosed number of Super Hornets to intercept two Russian
Tu-95MS bombers that were heading towards the carrier on a
Tokyo Express flight near Japan. The Russian bombers were accompanied by their own
Su-35S escort fighters. During their flights the bombers were also intercepted by
F-2,
F-4 and
F-15 fighters of the
Japan Air Self-Defense Force. In November destroyers assigned to
Ronald Reagan conducted exercises with the Indian Navy after which the Indian Navy ships joined by a
Japan Self-Defense Forces destroyer conducted more exercises with
Ronald Reagan. Later in November, the vessel conducted drills with two other US aircraft carriers, and . It was the first time in a decade that three US carrier strike groups had operated together in Asia. They were also joined by the Japanese helicopter destroyer
Ise and the guided missile destroyers
Inazuma and
Makinami. After working with the Japanese warships the carrier groups conducted drills with seven South Korean vessels, including two
Aegis-equipped destroyers. The drills were timed to coincide with the
Asian tour of US President
Donald Trump amid tensions with North Korea. , seen here landing in July 2017 On 22 November, a
C-2A Greyhound cargo plane of
VRC-30 with 11 crew and passengers aboard crashed into the Philippine Sea 145 km northwest of
Okinotorishima while flying from
Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni to the carrier. It was the first C-2 loss since 2005, and the first fatal crash since 1973. Eight of the 11 were rescued.
Ronald Reagan returned to Yokosuka on 4 December.
2018 On 17 May,
Ronald Reagan conducted sea trials, and, on 28 May 2018, she departed on her regular patrol of the Pacific. Her departure was several weeks late. The delay was caused by a "material issue" that required repairs to issues found during the sea trials.
Field Carrier Landing Practice for aircrew on
Iwo Jima were also delayed. After patrolling through the disputed South China Sea, the ship visited the Philippines for the first time, and stayed for four days. From 7 to 16 June, the carrier participated in the
Malabar 2018 exercise with Japan and India near Guam.
Ronald Reagan returned to Yokosuka on 24 July. On 27 July along with other vessels she left port again to avoid
Typhoon Jongdari, returning on 30 July. She left port again ahead of a typhoon on 7 August. On 31 August 2018, the carrier conducted training with the , of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force. On 21 November 2018, the ship visited Hong Kong. The ship backfitted the existing AN/SPS-48E three-dimensional (3D), air search radar with the AN/SPS-48G.
2019 On 24 August 2019,
Ronald Reagan returned to Yokosuka Naval Base, after a very short patrol of the western Pacific. The vessel made two stops over the deployment. First at
Brisbane to join the 2019
Exercise Talisman Saber off Australia's east coast, then at
Manila for a brief port visit on the week of 11 August; between those two points the ship had transited the South China Sea in order to send a message to Beijing that the seas must be free and open. Admiral
Karl O. Thomas used "
Freedom of Navigation Operations" to stress that point when his weaker allies could not. The ship also participated in several exercises at sea with partner nations, most recently with the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force.
2020 The coronavirus pandemic was reported to have spread to
Ronald Reagan when the first two cases were reported on 27 March 2020. The positive cases forced the closure of the naval base outside Tokyo where the carrier is based, with all personnel on base told to stay indoors for 48 hours.
2021 On 26 June 2021,
Ronald Reagan was deployed to the Middle East to help with the
withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan.
2022 In late May 2022,
Ronald Reagan was relieved by at
Sasebo, Japan.
Ronald Reagan led
Carrier Strike Group 5 into the
Philippine Sea.
Ronald Reagan departed
Singapore's
Changi Naval Base on 23 July to transit the
South China Sea. President
Joe Biden exchanged words with
Chinese Communist Party leader
Xi Jinping over
Nancy Pelosi's visit to
Taiwan, which was only a possibility at that point. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman
Zhao Lijian that his bosses were getting "seriously prepared". On 4 August 2022,
United States National Security Council spokesman
John Kirby announced that
Ronald Reagan had been ordered to remain in the vicinity of
Taiwan in response to missile launches conducted by
China, which in turn were a response to
Speaker of the United States House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi's
visit to Taiwan. On 19 August 2022,
Ronald Reagan returned to her home port of
Yokosuka, Japan. On 12 September 2022,
Ronald Reagan departed Yokosuka for the second leg of her regional patrol.
Ronald Reagan arrived at
Busan, South Korea for a scheduled port visit on 23 September 2022. This was the first time in four years that a US Navy aircraft carrier had visited South Korea.
2023 In April 2023, the Commander, Naval Air Forces announced that would again be homeported at
Fleet Activities Yokosuka in Japan and would relieve
Ronald Reagan beginning in 2024.
Ronald Reagan will depart Yokosuka and relocate to Bremerton, Washington, to conduct a scheduled
Drydocking at
Puget Sound Naval Shipyard. On 25 June 2023,
Ronald Reagan and two escort cruisers, and , made a port call in Tien Sa port in
Da Nang, Vietnam and remained until 30 June. This is the third visit a US carrier has made to Vietnam since 2018, with another visit occurring in 2020.
2024 In May 2024, the ship left
Yokosuka for her final patrol as the US Navy's only forward deployed carrier in advance of her homeport change to
Naval Base Kitsap. This is concurrent with USS
George Washingtons homeport shift to Yokosuka.
2025 In 2025, she was being readied for her Drydocking Planned Incremental Availability (DPIA), which was to be completed by August 2026 at the Dry Dock #6 on
Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility (PSNS&IMF).
2026 USS Ronald Reagan successfully undocked in February while in the final months of its 17-month
Drydocking Planned Incremental Availability (DPIA). The maintenance period is expected to conclude in August 2026. ==See also==