USS ''Ronald Reagan'' (CVN-76) is a ,

nuclear-powered Nuclear power is the use of nuclear reactions to produce electricity. Nuclear power can be obtained from nuclear fission, nuclear decay and nuclear fusion reactions. Presently, the vast majority of electricity from nuclear power is produced b ...

supercarrier in the service of the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...

. The ninth ship of her class, she is named in honor of

Ronald Reagan Ronald Wilson Reagan (February 6, 1911 – June 5, 2004) was an American politician and actor who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He was a member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party a ...

President of the United States The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president directs the Federal government of the United States#Executive branch, executive branch of the Federal government of t ...

from 1981 to 1989. She was built at

Newport News Shipbuilding Newport News Shipbuilding (NNS), a division of Huntington Ingalls Industries, is the sole designer, builder, and refueler of aircraft carriers and one of two providers of submarines for the United States Navy. Founded as the Chesapeake Dry Dock ...

Newport News, Virginia Newport News () is an Independent city (United States), independent city in southeastern Virginia, United States. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 186,247. Located in the Hampton Roads region, it is the List of c ...

, and was commissioned on 12 July 2003. ''Ronald Reagan'' made five deployments to the Pacific and Middle East between 2006 and 2011 while based at

Naval Air Station North Island Naval Air Station North Island or NAS North Island , at the north end of the Coronado peninsula on San Diego Bay in San Diego, California, is part of the largest aerospace-industrial complex in the United States Navy – Naval Base Coronado (N ...

. In October 2015, ''Ronald Reagan'' replaced as the

flagship A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of navy, naval ships, characteristically a flag officer entitled by custom to fly a distinguishing flag. Used more loosely, it is the lead ship in a fleet of vessels, typically ...

of Carrier Strike Group 5, the only forward-based carrier strike group homeported at Yokosuka, Japan, as part of the

United States Seventh Fleet The Seventh Fleet is a numbered fleet of the United States Navy. It is headquartered at U.S. Fleet Activities Yokosuka, in Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. It is part of the United States Pacific Fleet. At present, it is the largest of the ...

. Since 2016, ''Ronald Reagan'' has embarked on short annual summer patrols of the Western Pacific in the

area of operation.

Design and construction

Reagans with USS Ronald Reagan model 1996

The contract to build ''Ronald Reagan'' was awarded to Northrop Grumman

and Dry Dock Company in

, on 8 December 1994 and her keel was laid down on 12 February 1998. The budget for the ship was increased several times and ultimately $4.5 billion was spent on her construction, including a redesigned ship island. ''Ronald Reagan'' was christened by Reagan's wife Nancy on 4 March 2001 at

; the crew moved aboard on 30 October 2002 and the ship was commissioned on 12 July 2003 at

Naval Station Norfolk Naval Station Norfolk is a United States Navy base in Norfolk, Virginia, that is the headquarters and home port of the U.S. Navy's Fleet Forces Command. The installation occupies about of waterfront space and of pier and wharf space of the Ham ...

, with Captain J. W. Goodwin in command. Vice President

Dick Cheney Richard Bruce Cheney ( ; born January 30, 1941) is an American former politician and businessman who served as the 46th vice president of the United States from 2001 to 2009 under President George W. Bush. He has been called vice presidency o ...

and Second Lady

Lynne Cheney Lynne Ann Cheney ( ; ; born August 14, 1941) is an American author, scholar, and former talk show host. She served as the second lady of the United States from 2001 to 2009 when her husband was vice president. Childhood and education Lynne An ...

were both present at the ceremony, along with Nancy Reagan, who gave the ship's crew the traditional first order as an active unit of the Navy: "Man the ship and bring her to life." ''Ronald Reagan'' made her maiden voyage on 21 July 2003. President Reagan, who did not attend either the launch or the commissioning due to his Alzheimer's disease, died 11 months later. At the end of the graveside services, the ship's commanding officer at that time, Captain James Symonds, at Mrs. Reagan's request presented her the flag that draped the former president's casket. This particular flag had flown over

Capitol Hill Capitol Hill is a neighborhoods in Washington, D.C., neighborhood in Washington, D.C., located in both the Northeast, Washington, D.C., Northeast and Southeast, Washington, D.C., Southeast quadrants. It is bounded by 14th Street SE & NE, F S ...

on 20 January 1981 for Reagan's first inauguration. At a later date, Captain Symonds also presented Mrs. Reagan the flag that had been flying over ''Ronald Reagan'' when the former president died.

Naming

''Ronald Reagan'' is the first aircraft carrier and first nuclear-powered warship of any type to be named in honor of a living former president. Unlike most of the men honored by inclusion in this group, Reagan was not associated with the United States Navy, apart from his term as Commander-in-Chief, although one of his key initiatives in office was the 600-ship Navy program.

Ship's seal

The ''Ronald Reagan''s seal was designed entirely by her plankowner crew with historical assistance from staff members at the

Ronald Reagan Presidential Library The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library is the presidential library and burial site of Ronald Reagan, the 40th president of the United States (1981–1989), and his wife Nancy Reagan. Located in Simi Valley, California, the library is administere ...

. The seal's red border is similar to the distinctive red rim on the

White House china The White House china refers to the various patterns of china (porcelain) used for serving and eating food in the White House, home of the president of the United States. Different china services have been ordered and used by different presidenti ...

designed for the Reagans during their White House years. Four gold stars represent Reagan as 40th US President and his four pillars of freedom: individual liberty, economic opportunity, global democracy, and national pride. "Peace through Strength" was a recurring theme of Reagan's life in public service. The aircraft carrier is positioned on the West Coast, representing Reagan's two terms as

governor of California The governor of California is the head of government of the U.S. state of California. The Governor (United States), governor is the commander-in-chief of the California National Guard and the California State Guard. Established in the Constit ...

and the ship's Pacific Fleet homeport. The three aircraft's patriotic contrails symbolize the three major military operations during Reagan's presidency:

Operation Urgent Fury The United States and a coalition of Caribbean countries invaded the small island nation of Grenada, north of Venezuela, at dawn on 25 October 1983. Codenamed Operation Urgent Fury by the U.S. military, it resulted in military occupation with ...

(Grenada/1983), Operation El Dorado Canyon (Libya/1986), and

Operation Praying Mantis Operation Praying Mantis was the 18 April 1988 attack by the United States on Iranian naval targets in the Persian Gulf in retaliation for the mining of a U.S. warship four days earlier. On 14 April, the American guided missile frigate stru ...

(Iran/1988). The view of the globe signifies Reagan's vision of global democracy, and the center is the United States, representing the country's national pride. Red, white, and blue dominate the seal, reflecting the American flag.

Service history

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 The Strait of Magellan (), also called the Straits of Magellan, is a navigable sea route in southern Chile separating mainland South America to the north and the Tierra del Fuego archipelago to the south. Considered the most important natura ...

to her new homeport,

, 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 Strike Fighter Squadron 14 (VFA-14) "Tophatters" is a United States Navy fighter attack squadron based at Naval Air Station Lemoore. They fly the F/A-18E Super Hornet, and are the Navy's oldest active squadron, having formed in 1919. Their ca ...

and VFA-41 flying the

F/A-18E/F Super Hornet The Boeing F/A-18E and F/A-18F Super Hornet are a series of American supersonic twinjet, twin-engine, Carrier-based aircraft, carrier-capable, Multirole combat aircraft, multirole fighter aircraft derived from the McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Ho ...

, 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 Rio de Janeiro, or simply Rio, is the capital of the state of Rio de Janeiro. It is the second-most-populous city in Brazil (after São Paulo) and the sixth-most-populous city in the Americas. Founded in 1565 by the Portuguese, the city wa ...

, 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. HMS Gotland with USS Ronald Reagan

During an anti-submarine warfare exercise in 2005, HSwMS ''Gotland'', on loan from the

Swedish Navy The Swedish Navy () is the maritime service branch of the Swedish Armed Forces. It is composed of surface and submarine naval units – the Fleet (), formally sometimes referred to as the Royal Navy () – as well as marine units, the Amph ...

, 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 The Iraq War (), also referred to as the Second Gulf War, was a prolonged conflict in Iraq lasting from 2003 to 2011. It began with the invasion by a United States-led coalition, which resulted in the overthrow of the Ba'athist governm ...

and

Operation Enduring Freedom Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) was the official name used by the U.S. government for both the first stage (2001–2014) of the War in Afghanistan (2001–2021) and the larger-scale Global War on Terrorism. On 7 October 2001, in response ...

, as well as maritime security operations in the

Persian Gulf The Persian Gulf, sometimes called the Arabian Gulf, is a Mediterranean seas, mediterranean sea in West Asia. The body of water is an extension of the Arabian Sea and the larger Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.Un ...

. On 28 January 2006, an F/A-18 Hornet strike fighter attempting landing aboard ''Ronald Reagan'' crashed into the ship's

flight deck The flight deck of an aircraft carrier is the surface on which its aircraft take off and land, essentially a miniature airfield at sea. On smaller naval ships which do not have aviation as a primary mission, the landing area for helicopters ...

while the ship was about southeast of

Brisbane Brisbane ( ; ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and largest city of the States and territories of Australia, state of Queensland and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia, with a ...

Queensland Queensland ( , commonly abbreviated as Qld) is a States and territories of Australia, state in northeastern Australia, and is the second-largest and third-most populous state in Australia. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Austr ...

. 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 Jellyfish, also known as sea jellies or simply jellies, are the #Life cycle, medusa-phase of certain gelatinous members of the subphylum Medusozoa, which is a major part of the phylum Cnidaria. Jellyfish are mainly free-swimming marine animal ...

, 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 A carrier strike group (CSG) is a type of carrier battle group of the United States Navy. It is an operational formation composed of roughly 7,500 personnel, usually an aircraft carrier, at least one cruiser, a destroyer Squadron (naval), squad ...

(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 Baja California, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Baja California, is a state in Mexico. It is the northwesternmost of the 32 federal entities of Mexico. Before becoming a state in 1952, the area was known as the North Territory of B ...

. An SH-60 helicopter airlifted an

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. It borders on Lake Michigan to its northeast, the Mississippi River to its west, and the Wabash River, Wabash and Ohio River, Ohio rivers to its ...

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 The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...

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 Luzon ( , ) is the largest and most populous List of islands in the Philippines, island in the Philippines. Located in the northern portion of the List of islands of the Philippines, Philippine archipelago, it is the economic and political ce ...

. The

typhoon A typhoon is a tropical cyclone that develops between 180° and 100°E in the Northern Hemisphere and which produces sustained hurricane-force winds of at least . This region is referred to as the Northwestern Pacific Basin, accounting for a ...

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 Panay is the sixth-largest and fourth-most populous island in the Philippines, with a total land area of and a total population of 4,542,926, as of 2020 census. Panay comprises 4.4 percent of the entire population of the country. The City of Il ...

in the

Central Visayas Central Visayas (; or ) is an Regions of the Philippines, administrative region in the Philippines, numerically designated as Region VII. With only two Provinces of the Philippines, provinces: Cebu and Bohol, as well as three Cities of the Phi ...

. 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 Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. It is bordered by Pakistan to the Durand Line, east and south, Iran to the Afghanistan–Iran borde ...

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 The Gulf of Oman or Sea of Oman ( ''khalīj ʿumān''; ''daryâ-ye omân''), also known as Gulf of Makran or Sea of Makran ( ''khalīj makrān''; ''daryâ-ye makrān''), is a gulf in the Indian Ocean that connects the Arabian Sea with th ...

, played host to the rock band

Creed A creed, also known as a confession of faith, a symbol, or a statement of faith, is a statement of the shared beliefs of a community (often a religious community) which summarizes its core tenets. Many Christian denominations use three creeds ...

. 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 The Battle Effectiveness Award (formerly the Battle Efficiency Award, commonly known as the Battle "E"), is awarded annually to the small number of United States Navy ships, submarines, aviation, and other deployable combat coded units that win the ...

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 Reagan''s second consecutive and third Battle E in four years. On 19 May 2010,

Norfolk Naval Shipyard The Norfolk Naval Shipyard, often called the Norfolk Navy Yard and abbreviated as NNSY, is a U.S. Navy facility in Portsmouth, Virginia, for building, remodeling and repairing the Navy's ships. It is the oldest and largest industrial facility ...

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

Coronado, California Coronado (Spanish language, Spanish for "Crowned") is a resort town, resort city in San Diego County, California, United States, across San Diego Bay from downtown San Diego. It was founded in the 1880s and incorporated in 1890. Its population ...

. 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 Huntington Ingalls Industries, Inc. (HII) is the largest military shipbuilding company in the United States as well as a provider of professional services to partners in government and industry. HII, ranked No. 375 on the Fortune 500, was formed ...

(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. On 18 May 2010, ''Ronald Reagan'' departed Naval Air Station North Island for sea trials. This was the final phase of the PIA, and was conducted to assess the carriers material readiness to return to the operational fleet. ''Ronald Reagan'' pulled into Naval Air Station North Island on 19 May 2010 after completing her two-day sea trial, marking the official end to the ship's six-month PIA maintenance period. On 2 June 2010, ''Ronald Reagan'', with Carrier Air Wing Fourteen (CVW-14) embarked, departed Naval Air Station North Island to conduct flight deck certifications. 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 Reagan''s air department was assessed on the ability to maintain a fully operational flight deck and respond to simulated mishaps. During the summer of 2010, ''Ronald Reagan'' participated in Exercise

RIMPAC The Rim of the Pacific Exercise (RIMPAC) is the world's largest international maritime warfare exercise. RIMPAC is held biennially during June and July of even-numbered years from Honolulu, Hawaii, with the exception of 2020 where it was held ...

, departed from Naval Air Station North Island, California, for a Board of Inspection and Survey assessment on 25 August 2010, and departed her homeport to conduct routine operations off the coast of southern California in preparation for her 2011 Western Pacific (WESTPAC) deployment. In November 2010, the ship provided emergency supplies and assistance to passengers stranded in the Pacific Ocean aboard the cruise ship , which had lost power due to an engine fire.

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 Korea is a peninsular region in East Asia consisting of the Korean Peninsula, Jeju Island, and smaller islands. Since the end of World War II in 1945, it has been politically Division of Korea, divided at or near the 38th parallel north, 3 ...

, but was redirected towards Japan to provide support after the massive

2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami On 11 March 2011, at 14:46:24 Japan Standard Time, JST (05:46:24 UTC), a 9.0–9.1 Submarine earthquake, undersea megathrust earthquake occurred in the Pacific Ocean, east of the Oshika Peninsula of the Tōhoku region. It lasted approx ...

. The ship, stationed off

Sendai is the capital Cities of Japan, city of Miyagi Prefecture and the largest city in the Tōhoku region. , the city had a population of 1,098,335 in 539,698 households, making it the List of cities in Japan, twelfth most populated city in Japan. ...

, 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 The is a disabled nuclear power plant located on a site in the towns of Ōkuma, Fukushima, Ōkuma and Futaba, Fukushima, Futaba in Fukushima Prefecture, Japan. The plant Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster, suffered major damage from the 201 ...

. 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 Reagan''s crew performed radiation

decontamination Decontamination (sometimes abbreviated as decon, dcon, or decontam) is the process of removing contaminants on an object or area, including chemicals, micro-organisms, and/or radioactive substances. This may be achieved by chemical reaction, dis ...

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.

2012 and 2013

On 10 January 2012, ''Ronald Reagan''s official homeport was changed to

Bremerton, Washington Bremerton is a city in Kitsap County, Washington, Kitsap County, Washington (state), Washington, United States. The population was 43,505 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census and an estimated 44,122 in 2021, making it the largest city ...

for a little over a year 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 Naval Base San Diego is a United States Navy base in San Diego, California. It is the world's second largest surface ship naval base. Naval Base San Diego is the principal homeport of the United States Pacific Fleet, consisting of over 50 ships ...

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 is a city in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. , the city has a population of 373,797, and a population density of . The total area is . Yokosuka is the 11th-most populous city in the Greater Tokyo Area, and the 12th in the Kantō region. The city i ...

Kanagawa Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of Honshu. Kanagawa Prefecture is the List of Japanese prefectures by population, second-most populous prefecture of Japan at 9,221,129 (1 April 2022) and third-dens ...

. CVW-5 was based at

Naval Air Facility Atsugi is a joint Japan-US naval air base located in the cities of Yamato, Kanagawa, Yamato and Ayase, Kanagawa, Ayase in Kanagawa Prefecture, Kanagawa, Japan. It is the largest United States Navy (USN) air base in the Pacific Ocean, and once housed ...

, which is also located in Kanagawa Prefecture. The ship was open for the public to tour on 12 October. ''Ronald Reagan'' departed for her annual patrol of the Western Pacific on 15 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 The , abbreviated , also simply known as the Japanese Navy, is the maritime warfare branch of the Japan Self-Defense Forces, tasked with the naval defense of Japan. The JMSDF was formed following the dissolution of the Imperial Japanese Navy ( ...

and

Republic of Korea Navy The Republic of Korea Navy (ROKN; ), also known as the ROK Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the Republic of Korea Armed Forces, South Korean armed forces, responsible for naval and Amphibious warfare, amphibious operations. The South ...

. During a fleet review with the JMSDF, the

Prime Minister of Japan The is the head of government of Japan. The prime minister chairs the Cabinet of Japan and has the ability to select and dismiss its ministers of state. The prime minister also serves as the commander-in-chief of the Japan Self-Defense Force ...

Shinzo Abe Shinzo Abe (21 September 1954 – 8 July 2022) was a Japanese politician who served as Prime Minister of Japan and President of the Liberal Democratic Party (Liberal Democratic Party (Japan), LDP) from 2006 to 2007 and again from 2012 to 2020. ...

visited the ship. The ship returned to Yokosuka on 3 December.

2016 patrol

On 4 June 2016, ''Ronald Reagan'' departed Yokosuka 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 The Sea of Japan is the marginal sea between the Japanese archipelago, Sakhalin, the Korean Peninsula, and the mainland of the Russian Far East. The Japanese archipelago separates the sea from the Pacific Ocean. Like the Mediterranean Sea, it ...

and the

Yellow Sea The Yellow Sea, also known as the North Sea, is a marginal sea of the Western Pacific Ocean located between mainland China and the Korean Peninsula, and can be considered the northwestern part of the East China Sea. Names It is one of four ...

. ''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 Michael Richard Pence (born June 7, 1959) is an American politician and lawyer who served as the 48th vice president of the United States from 2017 to 2021 under President Donald Trump. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Repub ...

. 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

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 Nuclear weapons tests are experiments carried out to determine the performance of nuclear weapons and the effects of their explosion. Nuclear testing is a sensitive political issue. Governments have often performed tests to signal strength. Bec ...

. On 2 October the ship visited

Hong Kong Hong Kong)., Legally Hong Kong, China in international treaties and organizations. is a special administrative region of China. With 7.5 million residents in a territory, Hong Kong is the fourth most densely populated region in the wor ...

. She then participated in drills with the

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 Busan (), officially Busan Metropolitan City, is South Korea's second list of cities in South Korea by population, most populous city after Seoul, with a population of over 3.3 million as of 2024. Formerly romanized as Pusan, it is the economi ...

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 The Tokyo Express was the name given by Allied forces to the use of Imperial Japanese Navy ships at night to deliver personnel, supplies, and equipment to Japanese forces operating in and around New Guinea and the Solomon Islands during the ...

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 The , , also referred to as the Japanese Air Force, is the Aerial warfare, air and space warfare, space branch of the Japan Self-Defense Forces, responsible for the defense of Japanese airspace, other air and space operations, cyberwarfare and ...

. 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 The are the military forces of Japan. Established in 1954, the JSDF comprises the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force, the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, and the Japan Air Self-Defense Force. They are controlled by the Ministry of Defense ...

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 The Asian Tour is the principal men's professional golf professional golf tours, tour in Asia except for Japan (which has its own Japan Golf Tour). It is also a full member of the International Federation of PGA Tours. Official money events on ...

of US President

Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who is the 47th president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as the 45 ...

amid tensions with North Korea. 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 , or Parece Vela, is a coral reef, geologically an atoll, with two rocks enlarged with tetrapod-cement structures. It is administered by Japan with a total shoal area of and land area . Its dry land area is mostly made up by three concrete enc ...

while flying from

Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni is a joint Japan Maritime Self-Defense Forces and United States Marine Corps air station located in the Nishiki River, Nishiki river delta, southeast of Iwakuni Station in the Municipality of Japan, city of Iwakuni, Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan ...

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

In 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 is one of the Japanese Volcano Islands, which lie south of the Bonin Islands and together with them make up the Ogasawara Subprefecture, Ogasawara Archipelago. Together with the Izu Islands, they make up Japan's Nanpō Islands. Although sout ...

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

to join the 2019 Exercise Talisman Saber off Australia's east coast, then at

Manila Manila, officially the City of Manila, is the Capital of the Philippines, capital and second-most populous city of the Philippines after Quezon City, with a population of 1,846,513 people in 2020. Located on the eastern shore of Manila Bay on ...

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. On 5 July 2020, the ''Ronald Reagan'' Carrier Strike Group was deployed to the

South China Sea The South China Sea is a marginal sea of the Western Pacific Ocean. It is bounded in the north by South China, in the west by the Indochinese Peninsula, in the east by the islands of Taiwan island, Taiwan and northwestern Philippines (mainly Luz ...

along with .

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 The Philippine Sea is a List of seas#Marginal seas by ocean, marginal sea of the Pacific Ocean, Western Pacific Ocean east of the list of islands of the Philippines, Philippine Archipelago (hence the name) and the List of seas#Largest seas ...

. ''Ronald Reagan'' departed

Singapore Singapore, officially the Republic of Singapore, is an island country and city-state in Southeast Asia. The country's territory comprises one main island, 63 satellite islands and islets, and one outlying islet. It is about one degree ...

's Changi Naval Base on 23 July to transit the

. President

Joe Biden Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. (born November 20, 1942) is an American politician who was the 46th president of the United States from 2021 to 2025. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he served as the 47th vice p ...

exchanged words with

Chinese Communist Party The Communist Party of China (CPC), also translated into English as Chinese Communist Party (CCP), is the founding and One-party state, sole ruling party of the People's Republic of China (PRC). Founded in 1921, the CCP emerged victorious in the ...

leader

Xi Jinping Xi Jinping, pronounced (born 15 June 1953) is a Chinese politician who has been the general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and Chairman of the Central Military Commission (China), chairman of the Central Military Commission ...

over

Nancy Pelosi Nancy Patricia Pelosi ( ; ; born March 26, 1940) is an American politician who was the List of Speakers of the United States House of Representatives, 52nd speaker of the United States House of Representatives, serving from 2007 to 2011 an ...

's visit to

Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia. The main geography of Taiwan, island of Taiwan, also known as ''Formosa'', lies between the East China Sea, East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocea ...

, 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 The United States National Security Council (NSC) is the national security council used by the president of the United States for consideration of national security, military, and Foreign relations of the United States, foreign policy matter ...

spokesman John Kirby announced that ''Ronald Reagan'' had been ordered to remain in the vicinity of

in response to missile launches conducted by

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

, which in turn were a response to

Speaker of the United States House of Representatives The speaker of the United States House of Representatives, commonly known as the speaker of the House or House speaker, is the Speaker (politics), presiding officer of the United States House of Representatives, the lower chamber of the United ...

'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 Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, officially Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility (PSNS & IMF), is a United States Navy shipyard covering 179 acres (0.7 km2) on Puget Sound at Bremerton, Washington in uninterrupted ...

. 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

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 Washington''s homeport shift to Yokosuka.

Gallery

''Click on the thumbnail to enlarge.'' File:US Navy 030712-N-3128T-098 Hundreds of spectators and media witness the commissioning of the Navy's newest nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76).jpg, Commissioning ceremony of ''Ronald Reagan'', 2003 File:NRCHRISTEN.jpg, Former First Lady Nancy Reagan christens ''Ronald Reagan'' with President

George W. Bush George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician and businessman who was the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Bush family and the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he i ...

and former Newport News Shipbuilding CEO William Fricks looking on, 4 March 2001. File:Argentine Navy Dassault Super Etendard jet on USS Ronald Reagan.jpg, Gringo-Gaucho maneuvers with the

Argentine Navy The Argentine Navy (ARA; ). This forms the basis for the navy's ship prefix "ARA". is the navy of Argentina. It is one of the three branches of the Armed Forces of the Argentine Republic, together with the Argentine Army, Army and the Argentine ...

during 2004 transit around South America File:Defense.gov News Photo 060628-N-4776G-144.jpg, ''Ronald Reagan'' is aided by harbor tugs as she enters

Pearl Harbor Pearl Harbor is an American lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. It was often visited by the naval fleet of the United States, before it was acquired from the Hawaiian Kingdom by the U.S. with the signing of the Reci ...

Hawaii Hawaii ( ; ) is an island U.S. state, state of the United States, in the Pacific Ocean about southwest of the U.S. mainland. One of the two Non-contiguous United States, non-contiguous U.S. states (along with Alaska), it is the only sta ...

, for a port visit on 28 June 2006. File:USS Reagan;071030-N-6074Y-053.jpg, ''Ronald Reagan'' conducts rudder checks in October 2007, as part of the ship's periodic inspection. File:Defense.gov News Photo 040723-N-7615S-315.jpg, Sailors aboard ''Ronald Reagan'' man the rails as the supercarrier arrives at her new homeport in

San Diego, California San Diego ( , ) is a city on the Pacific coast of Southern California, adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a population of over 1.4 million, it is the List of United States cities by population, eighth-most populous city in t ...

, on 23 July 2004. File:Defense.gov News Photo 100628-N-5684M-493 - U.S. Marines and sailors man the rails aboard the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan CVN 76 as the ship transits Pearl Harbor in Hawaii on June 28.jpg, US Marines and sailors man the rails aboard ''Ronald Reagan'' as the ship transits Pearl Harbor in Hawaii on 28 June 2010 to participate in the 22nd

(Rim of the Pacific) exercises. File:SPN-46 Radar USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76) 2012-01-10 (cropped).jpg, Two AN/SPN-46 radars used on ''Ronald Reagan'' File:USS Ronald Reagan DVIDS336595.jpg, Sailors on the flight deck of ''Ronald Reagan'' stand by as an SH-60F Seahawk assigned to the Black Knights Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron 4 delivers cargo during a vertical replenishment. File:USS Ronald Reagan (CVN76) in Santa Barbara, May 31st, 2014.jpg, ''Ronald Reagan'' in Santa Barbara, 31 May 2014, photo taken at Shoreline Park, Santa Barbara, California File:Reagan Ballarat.jpg, ''Ronald Reagan'' makes final preparations to provide fuel to the Royal Australian Navy frigate during a Fueling At Sea (FAS) evolution, 21 April 2006 File:USS Ronald Reagan DVIDS294369.jpg, An F/A-18F Super Hornet assigned to the "Black Knights" of Strike Fighter Squadron 154 lands on the flight deck of ''Ronald Reagan'' while the carrier is underway in the Pacific Ocean in 2010

References

External links

*
U.S. Navy story archive for USS ''Ronald Reagan'' (CVN 76)

US Navy Aircraft Carrier Page
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ronald Reagan (Cvn-76) Nimitz-class aircraft carriers Ships built in Newport News, Virginia 2001 ships Nuclear-powered ships of the United States Navy Aircraft carriers of the United States Aircraft carriers involved in the COVID-19 pandemic Nancy Reagan Monuments and memorials to Ronald Reagan