The USS Nimitz will drop anchor in open water just beyond Panama’s Pacific shoreline. The destroyer USS Gridley will tie up at the Cruise Port of Amador, a pier in Panama City that usually handles tourist ships. Both vessels are scheduled to arrive on March 29. The country’s Servicio Nacional Aeronaval announced the visit on March 22.
For five days, the carrier and its escort will remain in Panamanian waters. Their journey began when they departed the U.S. West Coast on March 12. The itinerary already includes stops in Peru, Chile, and Brazil before they reach Panama. But there is something the two warships will not do while they are there.
The reason has less to do with geopolitics than with the physical dimensions of one of the world’s most famous maritime routes. The Panama Canal Authority confirmed that neither vessel will transit the interoceanic waterway. For the USS Nimitz, the explanation is straightforward.
A Nuclear-Powered Aircraft Carrier Too Large for the Locks
The USS Nimitz is one of the largest warships ever built. At 333 meters in length, the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier displaces roughly 100,000 tons. It carries up to 90 aircraft and operates as a mobile air base. The ship can support combat operations or disaster response across long distances without refueling.
The USS Gridley serves as its escort. The Arleigh Burke-class destroyer is equipped with the Aegis Combat System, incorporating advanced radar and missile systems for air and missile defense. Together, the two vessels carry approximately 6,000 crew members. The carrier alone accounts for the majority of that number, as noted in reporting from CNN.
Both ships are currently in the middle of a scheduled repositioning. They departed the U.S. West Coast on March 12 and are making their way around South America. The final destination is a new home port on the East Coast. The route, which includes a passage through the Strait of Magellan, was planned months in advance.
Why the Panama Canal Transit Is Off the Table
The USS Nimitz is too wide and too long to fit through the Panama Canal’s existing locks. The canal’s dimensions simply cannot accommodate a vessel of that size. This is not a matter of policy but of physical constraint. The Neopanamax locks, which accommodate larger vessels, still cannot fit a supercarrier.
The USS Gridley could technically pass through. The destroyer is small enough to transit the locks without issue. But by the time it reaches Panama, the ship will have already rounded South America via the Strait of Magellan. That makes a canal transit unnecessary for both vessels.
Instead, the USS Nimitz will anchor in open waters off the Panamanian coast. The USS Gridley will dock at the Cruise Port of Amador, a facility near the canal’s Pacific entrance. Both vessels will remain in place from March 29 until April 2 as part of the Southern Seas 2026 deployment.
Joint Exercises With Panama’s Naval Forces
During their five-day stay, the ships will participate in Southern Seas 2026 exercises. The Panamanian Servicio Nacional Aeronaval, the country’s national air and naval service, described the activities as cooperative tasks. The stated goal is to strengthen maritime capabilities through shared training with regional partners.
Southern Seas is an annual U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command exercise. The 2026 edition marks its eleventh iteration. According to Panamanian officials, the focus is on exchanging knowledge and improving interoperability with partner nations in the region. The exercises have been conducted annually for over a decade.
German outlet Focus reported that while the mission is officially framed as training, the presence of such significant naval assets also sends geostrategic signals about U.S. engagement in Latin America. A U.S. Navy spokesperson told USNI News earlier in March that planning for the USS Nimitz deployment included visits to several partner countries. The spokesperson described the deployment as a circumnavigation of South America.
A Repositioning Cruise With a Fixed Timeline
The deployment follows a predictable operational pattern. The USS Nimitz and USS Gridley left the U.S. West Coast on March 12 as part of a larger fleet repositioning. After Panama, they will continue their transit southward. The ships are expected to reach their new East Coast home port by June 20.
For now, the carrier will sit offshore in open Panamanian waters. The destroyer will occupy a pier in Panama City. Neither vessel will pass through the canal’s locks during the visit. The waterway itself will see no transit from either ship.
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