What Is America's Most Advanced Nuclear Warship Doing In Norway?

The USS Gerald R. Ford, the most advanced aircraft carrier in the world, visited Oslo, Norway, in early September 2025. The ship is currently deployed as a part of the U.S. European Command, and the visit is a conclusion of the ship's operation in the North and Norwegian Sea. Aside from that, two other ships in its strike group also worked with vessels from the Norwegian, German, and French Navies as part of Operation Overture in the Arctic Circle.

The visit to Oslo is the ship's capstone to its Northern Europe deployment, where its sailors and officers were able to explore the city's offerings. But more than that, it's a sign of the United States' commitment to the security of Norway and the rest of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) members. When the USS Gerald R. Ford entered Oslo Fjord in 2023, it was the first time a ship like this had done so in 65 years. 

"These visits are not merely symbolic," said Eric Meyer, Chargé d'Affaires, ad interim at the U.S. Embassy in Oslo, Norway, in a statement. "The presence of the carrier strike group in Norwegian waters training with Allied forces exemplifies our commitment to shared security." Aircraft carriers are primarily designed for force projection, with the U.S. Navy serving as part of the United States' armed forces. However, these assets are also used for diplomacy, with port calls such as this, as well as other naval operations, designed to send various international messages. 

The aircraft carrier is typically the capital ship of any navy that has one, with only a few nations owning at least one. The USS Gerald R. Ford's visit to Oslo could be a way to establish the Navy's presence in a region close to U.S. adversaries, including Russia. However, it's not just in Europe that the United States has been making this move.

The USS Ronald Reagan, a Nimitz-class nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, made a port call in Vietnam, docking in Da Nang in June 2023. This was only the third time that an American aircraft carrier has done so since the end of the Vietnam War, and the U.S. Navy did it to help bolster relations between the two former adversaries, especially amid tensions in Southeast Asia. In July 2025, another carrier, the USS George Washington, visited Manila, Philippines — a long-time United States ally in the Pacific. 

Although carriers are the largest, flashiest ships in the U.S. fleet, smaller vessels make port calls, too. For example, the USS Savannah, a littoral combat ship, docked in Cambodia in late 2024.  Similarly, the USS Blue Ridge, the 7th fleet's amphibious command ship, visited Australia and New Zealand in mid-2025.