U.S. Aircraft Carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt Heads to Middle East as Navy Sustains Iran Operations.

U.S. aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt has departed San Diego for a deployment expected to take Carrier Strike Group 9 to the Middle East, where it will relieve USS George Washington. The rotation will keep two U.S. carrier strike groups available in the region and sustain air operations against Iran from the Arabian Sea.

Theodore Roosevelt is deploying with Carrier Air Wing 11, which includes F-35C Lightning II and F/A-18E/F Super Hornet fighters as well as EA-18G Growler electronic warfare aircraft and E-2D Advanced Hawkeye airborne command and surveillance assets. Its arrival is expected to preserve U.S. carrier-based strike, air defense, and electronic warfare capacity near the Gulf of Oman and the approaches to the Strait of Hormuz while George Washington prepares to leave the theater after operating in support of ongoing U.S. operations against Iran.

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U.S. Navy aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71) sails in the Pacific Ocean during RIMPAC 2026 ahead of its planned deployment to the Middle East. (Picture source: US DoD)

USS Theodore Roosevelt left San Diego on September 27 with Carrier Air Wing 11 assigned to the deployment. The carrier is expected to cross the Pacific before entering the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility, where its strike group is due to relieve the Japan-based USS George Washington (CVN-73). The exact timetable for the handover has not been disclosed.

The destination had already been publicly announced by U.S. Navy leadership. During a town hall on August 31, Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Daryl Caudle said USS Theodore Roosevelt would be the next carrier sent to the Arabian Sea and was expected to relieve USS George Washington. On September 28, USNI News reported that a U.S. defense official had confirmed the carrier’s departure from San Diego the previous day. Navy officials had also warned families that the deployment could exceed seven months, with eight months being used as the planning baseline.

Carrier Strike Group 9 includes Theodore Roosevelt, Carrier Air Wing 11, Destroyer Squadron 23, Information Warfare Squadron 9 and the Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Chosin (CG-65). Its embarked air wing brings together several combat and support aircraft. The strike component includes F-35C Lightning II fighters from VFA-86, F/A-18E Super Hornets from VFA-211 and VFA-25, and F/A-18F aircraft from VFA-154. VAQ-137 operates the EA-18G Growler for electronic warfare, while VAW-115 flies the E-2D Advanced Hawkeye for airborne surveillance and command and control.

Theodore Roosevelt is a Nimitz-class aircraft carrier displacing about 97,000 tons at full load. The ship is roughly 333 meters long, is powered by two nuclear reactors driving four shafts, and can exceed 30 knots. Four steam catapults launch aircraft from the flight deck. The carrier can operate fighters, electronic warfare and airborne early-warning aircraft alongside MH-60R and MH-60S helicopters and CMV-22B aircraft used for logistics missions.

The combination of the F-35C, Super Hornet, EA-18G and E-2D gives the air wing the ability to conduct air defense, strike and suppression missions while maintaining broad situational awareness. The F-35C’s low-observable design and sensor suite support operations in defended airspace, while the EA-18G provides jamming and electronic attack capabilities. The E-2D extends airborne detection and helps coordinate the different elements of the force.

This force structure is particularly relevant given the current level of U.S. carrier activity in the region. As of September 28, USS George Washington was operating in the Arabian Sea with Carrier Air Wing 5 and USS Shoup in support of U.S. operations against Iran. USS George H.W. Bush and its carrier strike group were also operating in the Arabian Sea, while the Boxer Amphibious Ready Group and several independently deployed destroyers remained in the area.

The rotation also comes as USS Abraham Lincoln heads back toward the U.S. West Coast after a 311-day deployment. On September 28, the carrier was sailing near Hawaii with Carrier Air Wing 9 and USS Frank E. Petersen Jr. after spending more than eight months in the Middle East. Its return and Theodore Roosevelt’s movement in the opposite direction illustrate the operational tempo required to sustain the current U.S. carrier presence.

Theodore Roosevelt is therefore expected to take over a mission already directly connected to operations against Iran. On September 5, CENTCOM announced strikes against three Iranian oil tankers after the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps fired ballistic missiles toward a U.S. aircraft carrier and destroyer operating in regional waters. Three days later, five additional tankers linked to the IRGC oil network were destroyed following further attacks against a U.S. Navy vessel, including incidents in the Gulf of Oman and near Kharg Island. By relieving George Washington, Theodore Roosevelt would keep fighters, electronic warfare assets, and naval strike capabilities available in the Arabian Sea near the Gulf of Oman and the approaches to the Strait of Hormuz while Operation Epic Fury continues to target Iranian assets identified by CENTCOM as threats to U.S. forces.

Written By Erwan Halna du Fretay - Defense Analyst, Army Recognition Group
Erwan Halna du Fretay holds a Master’s degree in International Relations and has experience studying conflicts and global arms transfers. His research interests include security and strategic studies, particularly the dynamics of the defense industry, the evolution of military technologies, and the strategic transformation of armed forces.