The USNS George H.W. Bush carrier strike group departed Phuket, Thailand, on October 9, 2026, following a week-long port visit that began on October 2. The Nimitz-class carrier had left Norfolk, Virginia, in March and spent six months operating in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility, supporting Operation Epic Fury and the U.S. naval blockade in that region. Its departure from Phuket marked the end of its first port call since deployment. The group, which includes the cruiser USS Chosin and destroyers USS Paul Hamilton and USS Decatur, continues operations in the U.S. 7th Fleet area. Also transiting the region, the destroyer USS Mason arrived in Sembawang, Singapore, on October 5, and the littoral combat ship USS Charleston operates in the same maritime zone. In Singapore, the opening ceremony for Exercise Bersama Lima 2026 took place on October 5, involving forces from Australia, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, and the United Kingdom. Italian Navy ship ITS Giovanni delle Bande Nere arrived in Port Klang, Malaysia, on October 8 for a scheduled port visit. Meanwhile, a Russian surface action group departed Tanjung Priok, Jakarta, on October 6 after a two-week stay, having sailed from Vladivostok in early September. The group includes the destroyers RFS Marshal Shaposhnikov and RFS Admiral Tributs, along with the oiler Pechenga. In Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia, the Chinese PLAN 48th Escort Task Group arrived on October 8 for a five-day visit, consisting of the destroyer CNS Tangshan, frigate Daqing, and oiler Taihu. The unit had previously operated in the Gulf of Aden and off Somalia before beginning its return journey. In West Kalimantan, Indonesia, the JMSDF ship JS Kunisaki and three CH-47 helicopters departed on October 6 after supporting local authorities in wildfire response efforts. On October 3, North Korea launched a hypersonic ballistic missile that traveled approximately 1,000 kilometers, according to state media, though South Korean estimates placed its range at around 700 kilometers. Japan’s Ministry of Defense confirmed a peak altitude of 90 kilometers and a flight duration of about 680 kilometers. The launch was overseen by Kim Jong Un, as reported by KCNA. In Busan, South Korea, the Canadian frigate HMCS Regina docked on October 3 for a scheduled port visit as part of Operation Horizon. In the East China Sea, a Chinese TB-001 drone was observed flying west of Okinawa before altering course toward the mainland, prompting the scrambling of JASDF fighter aircraft. In Yokosuka, Japan, the USS Ralph Johnson returned to Fleet Activities Yokosuka on October 2, while USS Howard departed the base on October 1. A French Navy Falcon 50M maritime patrol aircraft began operations from Kadena Air Base in Okinawa on October 2, conducting surveillance flights through early November as part of ongoing monitoring of North Korean sanctions evasion. Additionally, the Russian corvette RFS Sovershennyy was sighted near Rebun Island on October 9, sailing northwest before entering the Sea of Okhotsk through La Pérouse Strait. JMSDF fast attack craft JS Kumataka and a P-3C Orion conducted surveillance on the vessel. Earlier that week, a Russian IL-20 electronic intelligence aircraft flew from the Sea of Japan into the Pacific and along the coast of Iwate Prefecture before returning, prompting the launch of JASDF interceptors from the Northern Air Defense Command. In Darwin, Australia, Royal Australian Navy and Army personnel prepared HMAS Choules for Exercise Keris Woomera 2026, a bilateral drill with Indonesia, by loading explosives onto the ship on October 6.