U.S. Confirms USS Nimitz Tour of Latin America With Panama Stop March 29–April 2

Overview

• U.S. Southern Command confirmed Monday that the USS Nimitz and destroyer USS Gridley will visit four ports in a Southern Seas 2026 tour across Latin America.
• The Panamanian aeronaval service says the ships will be in Panamanian waters March 29 to April 2, with Nimitz anchored offshore and Gridley at Amador Cruise Port in Panama City.
• The route will circumnavigate South America through the Strait of Magellan, which avoids the Panama Canal because Nimitz‑class carriers do not fit the locks.
• The Navy lists port calls in Brazil, Chile, Panama, and Jamaica, with activities alongside forces from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Mexico, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Uruguay.
• The deployment is part of the 11th Southern Seas exercise to build interoperability and goodwill, and it will reposition the strike group to a new U.S. East Coast homeport around June 20.