USS George H.W. Bush (CVN-77) Enters CENTCOM AOR — Three US Carriers in Theater for First Time in 20+ Years

The USS George H.W. Bush (CVN-77) carrier strike group entered the US Central Command area of responsibility on April 23–24, 2026, bringing the number of US aircraft carriers operating in and around the Middle East to three — the highest since 2003. The Bush, accompanied by three Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, an amphibious assault ship carrying approximately 2,500 Marines, and a dock landing ship, left its homeport in Norfolk, Virginia on March 31 and transited around the Cape of Good Hope at the southern tip of Africa, deliberately avoiding the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab Strait (controlled by Iranian-linked Houthis). The Bush joins the USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) in the Arabian Sea south of Iran and replaces the USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78), which departed for repairs after a fire in March. CNN and Army Recognition confirmed the arrival, with analysts noting the Bush's accompanying amphibious forces provide a substantially expanded ground-assault option for US commanders. The three-carrier posture gives the US the ability to sustain continuous strike sorties, rotate aircraft, and maintain a persistent presence across the full theater.