In a high-profile display of bilateral military engagement, three cabinet ministers from Trinidad and Tobago traveled via a U.S. military C-2 transport aircraft on Monday to meet the USS Nimitz (CVN-68), the U.S. Navy’s iconic nuclear-powered supercarrier anchored in international waters north of Venezuela. The visit was organized as part of the vessel’s ongoing Distinguished Visitor (DV) Day program, hosted by the Nimitz Carrier Strike Group at the invitation of the U.S. Embassy in Port of Spain and U.S. Southern Command.
The visiting delegation was led by Trinidad and Tobago’s Defence Minister Wayne Sturge, and included Works and Infrastructure Minister Jearlean John, and Land and Legal Affairs Minister Saddam Hosein. Senior national security and military officials also joined the tour, among them Ministry of Defence Permanent Secretary Narine Charran, Chief of Defence Staff Commodore Don Polo, Trinidad and Tobago Regiment Commanding Officer Captain Kemba Hannays, and Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard Commanding Officer Captain Akenathon Isaac.
As the lead flagship of the U.S. Navy’s Nimitz-class carrier program, the 100,000-ton nuclear-powered warship is designed to conduct sustained global operations without requiring mid-deployment refueling. Named after World War II Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, the vessel functions as a mobile, self-sustaining floating airbase that can project formidable military power across the globe. The Nimitz Carrier Strike Group, a fully integrated combat formation, is supported by guided-missile cruisers, guided-missile destroyers, attack submarines, logistics supply vessels, and an embarked air wing composed of fighter jets, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft, and utility helicopters. U.S. carrier strike groups are widely recognized as one of the world’s most powerful conventional military assets, allowing the U.S. to deploy air and naval power anywhere in the world without relying on host-nation land bases.
During the day-long tour, the Trinidad and Tobago delegation received detailed briefings on the supercarrier’s daily operations, walked the vessel’s 4.5-acre flight deck to observe catapult launches and arrested recoveries of fixed-wing aircraft, and reviewed the carrier’s strict safety protocols for flight operations. At the conclusion of the visit, the commanding officer of the USS Nimitz presented a commemorative plaque to Minister Sturge, who reciprocated with a plaque on behalf of the Government of Trinidad and Tobago.
In an interview with local outlet *Trinidad Express* following the tour, Sturge confirmed the trip to the supercarrier, which was positioned just a few miles north of Venezuela’s Guiria Peninsula. He shared that the delegation had a surprising, heartwarming encounter during the visit: six Trinidadian-born sailors currently serving aboard the Nimitz joined the tour. When five of the sailors mentioned they craved doubles, a popular Trinidadian street food, the minister arranged to have the traditional dish delivered to the vessel after the delegation departed.
Sturge also expressed his awe at the supercarrier’s advanced engineering, particularly its steam catapult launch system. “The landing and take off was done by catapult which I never quite understood until I experienced it,” he told reporters. Sturge declined to share further sensitive details of the discussions held during the visit, noting that matters related to national security require appropriate confidentiality, and that additional information would be released at a later date.
The USS Nimitz publicly acknowledged the historic visit in an official post on its Facebook page. “Today USS Nimitz was honored to welcome distinguished visitors from Trinidad and Tobago while operating in the Caribbean. Their visit reflects the strong ties between our nations and the importance of continued engagement among partners committed to security, cooperation, and stability throughout the region,” the post read. “We were also proud of our Trinidadian-American sailors who were able to join the tour and show off their Old Salt strength! To our guests from Trinidad and Tobago, thank you for your friendship and for joining us aboard Nimitz!”
The deployment is part of Southern Seas 2026, an ongoing maritime security initiative led by U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command and the U.S. 4th Fleet. The deployment is focused on expanding regional military capacity, improving interoperability between partner nations’ armed forces, and strengthening maritime security cooperation across the Caribbean and Latin America through joint exercises, multinational exchanges, and inter-agency collaboration.