US Navy’s 100,000-Ton Nuclear Aircraft Carrier Ronald Reagan Returns To Fleet After 18-Month Overhaul

The US Navy aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan has returned to its operational fleet after an 18-month maintenance programme at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Washington.

The roughly 100,000-ton Nimitz-class nuclear-powered carrier underwent a Docked Planned Incremental Availability (DPIA), which involved repairs and upgrades across the ship.

Ronald Reagan entered the maintenance period in March 2025. It left the shipyard in early September 2026 and then underwent sea trials.

The Navy confirmed that the work was completed and the carrier returned to the fleet in September. However, it has not announced the carrier’s next deployment.

The DPIA was the first for Ronald Reagan since 2012.

The maintenance work covered several parts of the ship. It included repairs to the hull and flight deck, work on reactor-related systems and upgrades to its combat capabilities.

The Navy also worked on crew spaces. Ronald Reagan can have about 5,000 sailors aboard when deployed.

Maintaining a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier involves work on many systems. The ship has nuclear propulsion, aircraft operations, weapons, combat systems and other support facilities.

After leaving the shipyard in early September, Ronald Reagan went to sea for testing before completing the maintenance programme.

USS Ronald Reagan entered service in 2003. It is the second-youngest of the Navy’s 10 Nimitz-class carriers.

The carrier has spent many years operating in the Indo-Pacific.

From 2015, it was the U.S. Navy’s forward-deployed aircraft carrier based at Yokosuka, Japan. It operated with U.S. forces and took part in exercises with regional allies and partners.

In 2024, Ronald Reagan took part in Exercise Valiant Shield, a major multinational exercise involving U.S. forces and Japan’s Self-Defense Forces.

The carrier also took part in other operations across the Indo-Pacific before returning to the United States.

The U.S. Navy continues to maintain its Nimitz-class carriers while bringing the newer Ford-class carriers into the fleet.

References: interestingengineering