Nimitz carrier strike group arrives in Chile

The USS Nimitz Carrier Strike Group arrived off Valparaiso, Chile, marking its second stop on the Southern Seas 2026 deployment, with USS Nimitz anchored in Chilean territorial waters and the guided-missile destroyer USS Gridley moored pier-side.

Ahead of the visit, Nimitz conducted a bilateral engagement with the Chilean Air Force and hosted senior Chilean government and military leaders, including José Antonio Kast, president of Chile. The delegation toured the carrier, observed flight deck operations, and discussed the deployment’s objectives with strike group leadership. “We were profoundly honored to welcome President Kast and Chile’s senior leadership aboard Nimitz,” said Rear Adm. Cassidy Norman, commander, Carrier Strike Group 11. “The effort we made to showcase our warfighting capability and the professionalism of this crew reflects our enthusiasm for building an enduring partnership with Chile – one we continue to strengthen through training and operating together at sea.”

The port call opened with a meeting between Norman and Rear Adm. Jorge Castillo, the Chilean Navy’s fleet commander, followed by a wreath-laying at Valparaiso’s Héroes de Iquique monument in historic Plaza Sotomayor, presided over by Rear Adm. Carlos Sardiello, commander, U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command/U.S. 4th Fleet. “Our navies share a long and distinguished history in the maritime domain—a history that fortifies our strong partnership and shapes the operations of tomorrow,” said Sardiello. “May our presence here today, as we honor the Heroes of Iquique, along with the USS Nimitz’s visit as part of Southern Seas 2026, serve as a testament to the enduring spirit of the Chilean people who have served with courage, resilience and unity. Today our navies sail side-by-side with resolve to promote security and prosperity in the Western Hemisphere.”

Following the ceremony, Sardiello presented awards aboard Gridley to active-duty and retired Chilean naval officers for meritorious joint service with the U.S. Navy. Throughout the visit, personnel from the Nimitz Carrier Strike Group are scheduled for professional exchanges with Chilean counterparts, community relations projects, and cultural engagements in Valparaiso and Santiago.

During the deployment, the strike group is slated to conduct passing exercises and at-sea operations with regional maritime forces while circumnavigating South America. Southern Seas 2026 is the 11th iteration of the series since 2007, aimed at fostering goodwill, strengthening maritime partnerships, countering threats, and building the U.S. Navy’s team alongside partner nation services.

Recent activities also included a bilateral maritime engagement in the Pacific Ocean on April 21, when the Chilean Navy frigate Capitan Prat joined Nimitz and Gridley in formation. The Nimitz Carrier Strike Group consists of the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz, Carrier Air Wing 17, Destroyer Squadron 9, and USS Gridley.

U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command/U.S. 4th Fleet describes its role as a trusted maritime partner for Caribbean, Central, and South American forces, focused on improving regional unity and security.