USS Nimitz visits Panama on grand farewell tour

https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/uss-nimitz-visits-panama-on-grand-farewell-tour-ps-040126

The United States Navy’s oldest operational nuclear-powered supercarrier paid a port visit to Panama on Saturday, marking the first time a US Navy aircraft carrier visited the small Central American nation in over five decades.
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The supercarrier, which had been scheduled to be decommissioned in Norfolk, Virginia, in the coming weeks, was given a brief reprieve and will remain in service until March 2027, when the future USS John F. Kennedy (CVN-79) is projected to enter service. By US law, the US Navy must retain 11 active nuclear-powered aircraft carriers. However, remaining in service does not mean actively participating in naval operations, and the Nimitz is likely to spend most of its additional lease on life in port in Virginia—meaning that its current voyage is still likely to be its last.

Images of USS Nimitz and the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Gridley (DDG-101) visiting the Port of Amador on the Pacific Ocean circulated on social media over the weekend.
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During the underway, CVN-68 will take part in exercises or exchanges with the maritime forces of Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Mexico, El Salvador, Guatemala and Uruguay. In addition, plans call for the Nimitz to make port calls in Brazil, Chile, and Jamaica, with the visit to Panama completed.
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