SAIL ON: Aircraft carrier Nimitz service life extended until 2027.

Amid the strain of extended deployments, the Navy told Breaking Defense it has officially decided to keep its oldest active aircraft carrier in the water a little longer, prolonging the service life of the USS Nimitz to March 2027.

A service official revealed the change late Friday, pushing back previous plans to mothball the ship this May.

Extending the Nimitz’s service life means that the Navy could maintain its fleet of 11 carriers. The service is awaiting its newest aircraft carrier, the second Ford-class John F. Kennedy, which is currently slated for delivery in March 2027.

The Nimitz departed Naval Base Kitsap in Bremerton, Washington on March 7 to head to Naval Station Norfolk in Virginia as part of a scheduled homeport shift for the remainder of its service life. It will then undergo its inactivation and defueling of the reactor at HII in Newport News.

Nimitz was the first of the class of 10 carriers that basically defined American power projection for five decades.