USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71) transited the Pacific Ocean on June 22, 2026. The carrier and its escorts will depart San Diego in the coming weeks. The strike group will relocate to U.S. Central Command to relieve the Japan‑based USS George Washington (CVN-73). Operation Epic Fury began on February 28, 2026, and the United States has maintained a carrier presence in the Arabian Sea, conducting strike missions and enforcing a naval blockade of Tehran. Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Daryl Caudle and Master Chief Petty Officer John Perryman said the deployment will last more than seven months. They said the length creates stress for sailors and their families, who are planning for a deployment exceeding seven months. The Navy recorded its longest post‑Cold War deployment with USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) in May, a 326‑day sortie, and USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) is on track for a deployment of more than 300 days. Since the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack and subsequent Houthi threats to shipping, carrier deployments have averaged 8.5 months, according to the USNI News database. Caudle said the Navy is considering port calls in Africa, India or Singapore to reduce the impact of extended at‑sea time. He also said the service is awaiting a supplemental funding bill of $6‑8 billion to replace operations and maintenance funds withdrawn for the Iran conflict. The ongoing Middle East conflict coincides with plans to expand naval operations in the Western Pacific to counter growing Chinese influence. The Navy continues to assess timing and locations for carrier port visits while the supplemental budget remains pending.