U.S. Navy Maintains Global Presence Amid Heightened Operations in Caribbean and Indo-Pacific

By WPS News Staff Reporters

As of November 22, 2025, the U.S. Navy continues its forward-deployed posture across the world’s oceans, projecting power and supporting allies in an era of great-power competition and regional tensions. With approximately 300 ships in service, including 11 aircraft carriers, the Navy’s global reach is evident in ongoing deployments, multinational exercises, and contingency operations. Key activities span the Western Hemisphere, Indo-Pacific, Middle East, and Europe-Africa regions, underscoring the service’s role in deterrence, maritime security, and humanitarian support.

In the Caribbean and surrounding waters, the Navy has significantly escalated its presence under Operation Southern Spear, a counter-narcotics and anti-transnational crime initiative launched in mid-November. The flagship USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78), the Navy’s newest and most advanced supercarrier, entered the Caribbean Sea on November 16 after transiting from the Mediterranean, marking a rare concentration of high-end assets in U.S. Southern Command’s area of responsibility (U.S. Navy, 2025a). Accompanied by its strike group, including destroyers and air wing with F-35C stealth fighters, the Ford joins the Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group and additional surface combatants, creating one of the largest U.S. naval buildups in the region in decades (D. Axe, personal communication, November 17, 2025; Military.com, 2025). Satellite data and official reports indicate routine positioning of warships near Venezuela’s coast, with Marines conducting training exercises in Puerto Rico and joint drills with regional partners (New York Times, 2025; Wikipedia, 2025). While framed as counter-drug operations, analysts note the deployment’s potential as a pressure campaign amid political tensions in Caracas.

In the Indo-Pacific, the Navy’s largest forward-deployed fleet—the 7th Fleet—remains active in preserving a free and open region. On November 13, Vice Adm. Patrick Hannifin assumed command of the 7th Fleet in Yokosuka, Japan, overseeing 50-70 ships and submarines (U.S. Navy, 2025b). Recent highlights include Exercise Malabar 2025 off Guam (November 10-18), involving Australia, India, Japan, and U.S. forces in advanced maritime drills, and bilateral training with South Korea focused on counter-special operations (U.S. 7th Fleet, 2025). Carrier USS George Washington (CVN-73) operates in the Philippine Sea, while amphibious groups support ally engagements across the theater.

The Middle East sees sustained but reduced activity following the winding down of intense Red Sea operations against Houthi forces earlier in 2025. Independent destroyers patrol key chokepoints, with mine countermeasures vessels in Bahrain, though no carrier is currently deployed there (USNI News, 2025a). Houthi attacks have largely ceased amid ceasefires tied to Gaza developments, allowing rerouting of commercial traffic.

In Europe and Africa, the 6th Fleet supports NATO alliances, with recent anti-submarine exercises in the Baltic and the Ford’s prior operations in the Mediterranean before its Atlantic transit (Stars and Stripes, 2025). No carrier remains in the region, shifting focus to surface and air patrols.

Overall, these deployments reflect the Navy’s strained but resilient global footprint, balancing deterrence against peers like China with responses to asymmetric threats. With nearly 100,000 sailors at sea or forward-based, the service upholds maritime freedom amid evolving challenges.

References
Military.com. (2025, November 19). Massive US Marine buildup in Caribbean just 7 miles from Venezuela’s coast. https://www.military.com/feature/2025/11/19/massive-us-marine-buildup-caribbean-just-7-miles-venezuelas-coast.html

New York Times. (2025, November 21). Satellite data reveals how the U.S. Navy is deployed near Venezuela. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/21/world/americas/us-navy-venezuela-satellite-data.html

U.S. Navy. (2025a). Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group enters Caribbean Sea. https://www.navy.mil/Press-Office/News-Stories/display-news/Article/4332628/gerald-r-ford-carrier-strike-group-enters-caribbean-sea/

U.S. Navy. (2025b). Guam hosts Australia, India, Japan and US forces in Exercise Malabar 2025. https://www.navy.mil/Press-Office/News-Stories/display-news/Article/4338421/guam-hosts-australia-india-japan-and-us-forces-in-exercise-malabar-2025/

USNI News. (2025a). USNI News fleet and marine tracker: Nov. 17, 2025. https://news.usni.org/2025/11/17/usni-news-fleet-and-marine-tracker-nov-17-2025

Wikipedia. (2025). 2025 United States naval deployment in the Caribbean. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2025_United_States_naval_deployment_in_the_Caribbean