At Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam in Honolulu, the USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71) hosts visiting reporters as it participates in the Rim of the Pacific Exercise (RIMPAC) 2026. Capt. William Mathis describes the Nimitz-class nuclear-powered aircraft carrier as a “floating city” and “floating airport,” noting that when the ship is underway it operates about 4.5 acres (1.8 hectares) of U.S. sovereign territory on its flight deck. The carrier is staffed by roughly 3,000 sailors assigned to the ship and about 2,000 additional personnel with Carrier Air Wing 11.
The ship’s flight deck is lined with a mix of aircraft, including F/A-18 Super Hornets, F-35C Lightning II fighters, EA-18G Growlers, and E-2D Hawkeye airborne early warning aircraft. Sailors move between aircraft and maintenance equipment as the carrier prepares to get underway.
Commissioned in 1986, the Theodore Roosevelt is marking its 40th anniversary. While its age is noted, Mathis emphasizes the carrier’s continued ability to adapt and evolve to meet current operational needs.
