The USS George HW Bush aircraft carrier has arrived in the Middle East, according to the US military, increasing the number of American aircraft carriers operating in the region to three.

The US Central Command, which is responsible for military operations in the Middle East, said in a post on X that the carrier was sailing in the Indian Ocean within its area of responsibility on April 23, The Caspian Post reports.

The post also included an image of the carrier with its flight deck filled with warplanes.

Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77) sails in the Indian Ocean in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility, April 23. pic.twitter.com/oDcTM6YMLF

— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) April 23, 2026