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The aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68) conducted an aerial power demonstration in the Pacific Ocean this Friday as part of the multinational exercise Southern Seas 2026, under the command of the United States Southern Command and the 4th Fleet.
The U.S. Navy released images of the demonstration that included a F/A-18 Super Hornet from the VFA-137 "Kestrels" squadron breaking the sound barrier over the ocean, creating the characteristic vapor cone around the fuselage.
Helicopters MH-60S Seahawk from squadron HSC-6 "Indians" also participated, firing flares as countermeasures during the demonstration flights.
One of those helicopters hoisted a sailor who unfurled a large American flag, in an image that captured the ceremonial nature and show of force of the exercise.
The photos were taken by Navy photographers MCSN Frankie M. Guage and MCSN Julian Jaime.
Southern Seas 2026 aims, according to the Marina itself, to "enhance capabilities, interoperability, and strengthen maritime partnerships with countries in the region through exchanges and joint, multinational, and inter-institutional cooperation."
This is the 11th edition of the exercise since its inception in 2007, and the Carrier Strike Group 11 —which includes the Nimitz, Carrier Air Wing 17 (CVW-17), Destroyer Squadron 9, and the USS Gridley (DDG-101)— has traveled approximately 12,400 nautical miles through the waters of the Western Hemisphere.
Before the demonstration this Friday, the Nimitz conducted bilateral exercises with the Ecuadorian Navy on April seventh and eighth, and arrived in Chile last Tuesday, April 21 during its tour of the region.
The deployment also holds historical significance: Southern Seas 2026 is the final operational cruise of the USS Nimitz before its decommissioning.
The ship, commissioned in 1975 and the oldest aircraft carrier in active service in the U.S. Navy, was originally scheduled for decommissioning in May 2026, but the date has been postponed to March 2027 to maintain the 11 active aircraft carriers required by Congress while awaiting the delivery of the USS John F. Kennedy (CVN-79).
The decommissioning of the Nimitz will take place at the Huntington Ingalls Industries shipyard in Newport News, Virginia, ending more than five decades of service for the flagship of its class.
Image gallery
Naval helicopter performs a descent maneuver in mid-flight
A U.S. Navy helicopter is conducting a cable descent operation during exercises in the Pacific Ocean, as part of the USS Nimitz deployments.
Helicopter deploys countermeasures in tactical maneuver
A fighter jet produces a vapor cone when it reaches supersonic speed, showcasing the air power displayed during naval exercises.
Supersonic hunt breaks the sound barrier over the Pacific
A fighter jet creates a vapor cone when reaching supersonic speed, demonstrating the air power exhibited during naval exercises.
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