USS Nimitz in Panama Hosts Central American VIPs During Southern Seas 2026 Exercise
Panamanian distinguished visitors observe flight operations on the flight deck of Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Nimitz in the Pacific Ocean.
Top military officers and government officials from Panama and El Salvador visited the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz last week during the multinational Southern Seas 2026 naval exercise in the eastern Pacific. The Nimitz hosted the Panamanians on Friday and El Salvadorans on Saturday. The carrier earlier hosted senior Guatemalan officials.
Rear Adm. Cassidy Norman above left, commander of Carrier Strike Group 11, met with some of the visitors, including Adm. Rene Merino, minister of defense of El Salvador; Jaime Fernandez, director of the National Police of Panama; and Luis Felipe Icaza, Panamanian vice minister of public security.
The Nimitz’s commanding officer, Capt. Joseph Furco, led the groups on a tour of the ship. The Navy has said more visits by “partner nation” officials are planned during the exercise. The Nimitz is operating in the 4th Fleet area of responsibility, which includes the Pacific and Atlantic oceans south of Mexico, as well as the Caribbean.
The Nimitz deployed to the exercise as part of a homeport switch from Naval Base Kitsap in Bremerton, Wash., to Naval Air Station Norfolk in Virginia. The carrier is too large to fit through the Panama Canal, so it must transit to Virginia around the southern tip of South America. The Pentagon announced this month that the Nimitz, the Navy’s oldest carrier, would not retire next month as planned.
The 51-year-old ship will remain in the fleet until the Gerald R. Ford-class USS John F. Kennedy is commissioned in early 2027. A congressional mandate requires the Navy to operate a minimum of 11 aircraft carriers. Carrier Strike Group 11 is scheduled to conduct operations with partner nation forces during the Southern Seas exercise. The strike group includes the Nimitz, Carrier Air Wing 17, Destroyer Squadron 9 and the Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer USS Gridley.
Capt. Joseph Furco, commanding officer of aircraft carrier USS Nimitz, looks over charts with Armed Forces of El Salvador distinguished visitors during a tour in the Pacific Ocean
Our thanks to Gary Warner who covers the Pacific Northwest for Stars and Stripes, for providing Newsroom Panama with this story. If you would like to contribute stories to Newsroom Panama, please email them to PanamaNewsroom@gmail.com Thank you. Telly, News Director at https://NewsroomPanama.com
