An F/A-18E Super Hornet, attached to the “Kestrels” of Strike Fighter Squadron 137 makes a low-level pass of USS Nimitz on April 7, 2026, while releasing flares used in combat to disorient incoming missiles. (Tanner Orth/U.S. Navy)
Fighter attack jets from USS Nimitz engaged in mock aerial dogfights and dropped live bombs into the sea this week as part of a joint exercise with the Ecuadorian navy.
The two navies are participating in Southern Seas 2026, a multinational exercise. The Ecuadorian Esmeralda-class missile corvettes BAE Manabi and BAE Loja took part, alongside the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Gridley. Ecuadorian A-29 Super Tucano aircraft flew air patrol with F/A-18 Super Hornets over the Nimitz.
On Tuesday, the Nimitz crew loaded live bombs onto the Super Hornets, which flew a simulated attack run, dropping the ordnance in an open area of the sea. A pair of Hornets demonstrated tactical maneuvers, and a third Hornet released flares used as countermeasures that in real combat are designed to confuse incoming missiles.
Ordnance dropped by F/A-18E Super Hornets, attached to the “Kestrels” of Strike Fighter Squadron 137, explodes in the eastern Pacific off the coast of Ecuador during live-fire exercises on April 7, 2026. (Jaron Wills/U.S. Navy)
Fighter-attack jets of Carrier Air Wing 17 fly over USS Nimitz during exercises off the coast of Ecuador in the eastern Pacific Ocean on April 7, 2026. (Jaron Wills/U.S. Navy)
Two F/A-18E Super Hornets, attached to the “Kestrels” of Strike Fighter Squadron 137, perform tactical maneuvers during an air power demonstration from USS Nimitz on April 7, 2026. (Tanner Orth/U.S. Navy)
An E/A-18G Growler of the “Cougars” of Electronic Attack Squadron 139 performs a high-speed flyby of USS Nimitz in the Pacific Ocean, April 7, 2026. (Julian Jaime/U.S. Navy)
An E/A-18G Growler of “Cougars” of Electronic Attack Squadron 139, in a high-speed flyby of USS Nimitz in on April 7, 2026. (Julian Jaime/U.S. Navy)
“Engaging with partners like Ecuador ensures that when the need arises, we can work together as a proficient warfighting team, built with trust and experience,” Rear Adm. Cassidy Norman, commander of Carrier Strike Group 11, said in a statement.
The Navy said the exercises include simulated maritime interdiction actions, live-fire gunnery and air defense practice.
The Nimitz is scheduled to hold additional exercises with South and Central American partner militaries during its transit from Naval Base Kitsap in Bremerton, Wash., around the tip of South America, to its new homeport at Naval Station Norfolk, Va. The Nimitz, commissioned in 1975, is the Navy’s oldest aircraft carrier. After announcing the ship would be retired this year, the Navy extended its service until at least 2027, when the newest carrier, the future USS John F. Kennedy, is scheduled for delivery to the fleet.
An Ecuadorian Air Force Embraer A-29 Super Tucano and an F/A-18E Super Hornet, attached to the “Kestrels” of Strike Fighter Squadron 137, cruise above USS Nimitz during exercises in the Pacific Ocean on April 8, 2026. (William Shortal/U.S. Navy)
Ecuadorian Navy Esmeralda-class missile corvettes BAE Manabi and BAE Loja maneuver alongside USS Nimitz and Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer USS Gridley during the Southern Seas 2026 exercises in the eastern Pacific on April 8, 2026. (Julian Jaime/U.S. Navy)
Ecuadorian Navy Esmeralda-class missile corvette BAE Loja maneuvers alongside Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Gridley during exercises on April 8, 2026. (Gina Gallia/U.S. Navy)
A MH-60S Sea Hawk of the “Indians” of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 6 from USS Nimitz conducts a search-and-rescue maneuver during Southern Seas 2026 on April 7, 2026. (Jaron Wills/U.S. Navy)
Sailors prepare for flight operations on the flight deck of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Nimitz during an airpower demonstration in the Pacific Ocean on April 7, 2026. (Alyssa J. Boling/U.S. Navy)
A F/A-18E Super Hornet, attached to the “Kestrels” of Strike Fighter Squadron 137, and an E/A-18G Growler, attached to the “Cougars” of Electronic Attack Squadron 139, conduct an aerial refueling above the flight deck of USS Nimitz on April 7, 2026. (Jaron Wills/U.S. Navy)
