Last updated: June 10, 2026 at 9:00 AM ET
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NavyWeek.org is an independent publication. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by the U.S. Navy, the U.S. Department of Defense, NAVCO, or DFAS. This page is informational reference material — not official guidance — and is compiled from public U.S. government sources.

// Forward-Deployed U.S. Navy

NAVY BASES OVERSEAS

The forward-deployed U.S. Navy operates major shore installations across the Indo-Pacific, Europe, the Middle East, and beyond — anchoring American maritime presence from the Sea of Japan to the Mediterranean and the Persian Gulf. Browse by combatant command region or by host nation to learn the history, mission, and host-nation context of each installation.

Portrait of T Madden Alford
Written by
T Madden Alford — U.S. Naval Academy '02 · U.S. Navy Reserve Captain (O-6) · Former submarine officer, USS Key West
Reviewed by
Erik Rivera — U.S. Naval Academy '04 · Former U.S. Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) officer
Last reviewed: May 25, 2026 · Sources checked: May 25, 2026
15
Overseas Bases
12
Host Nations
5
Combatant Commands

WORLD MAP

Showing 15 of 15 overseas bases

BROWSE BY COUNTRY

U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) (1)
U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) (1)
U.S. European Command (EUCOM) (4)
U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) (1)

ALL OVERSEAS BASES (A–Z)

15 of 15

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

The United States Navy operates major shore installations in roughly a dozen countries outside the continental United States — most concentrated in the Indo-Pacific (PACOM), Europe (EUCOM), and the Middle East (CENTCOM). This directory catalogues the largest and most operationally significant overseas installations and is expanding on a rolling basis.

Naval Station Yokosuka in Japan is the largest U.S. Navy installation overseas. It is the homeport of the U.S. 7th Fleet and the only forward-deployed U.S. aircraft carrier, supporting approximately 27,000 U.S. personnel and family members.

These are the U.S. geographic combatant commands: PACOM (U.S. Indo-Pacific Command) covers the Pacific and Indian Ocean rim; EUCOM (U.S. European Command) covers Europe; CENTCOM (U.S. Central Command) covers the Middle East and Central Asia; AFRICOM (U.S. Africa Command) covers Africa; SOUTHCOM (U.S. Southern Command) covers Latin America and the Caribbean. Overseas Navy bases are aligned to the combatant command for their region.

A Status of Forces Agreement is a treaty or executive agreement between the United States and a host nation that defines the legal status, rights, and obligations of U.S. military personnel and dependents while in that country. SOFAs typically cover criminal jurisdiction, taxation, customs, labor relations, and base access. Each overseas installation operates under either a multilateral SOFA (such as the NATO SOFA) or a bilateral agreement.

Access to overseas U.S. Navy installations is generally restricted to authorized DoD personnel, family members, contractors, and pre-approved sponsored visitors. Some bases periodically host public open-house events; otherwise, civilian visits require advance coordination through a base sponsor and host-nation entry requirements (passport, visa, or visa-waiver eligibility).

For most overseas installations, yes. Command sponsorship designates dependents as officially accompanying the service member on PCS orders, qualifies them for SOFA-status entry into the host nation, and provides access to base housing, DoDEA schools, and medical care. Non-command-sponsored dependents face significant restrictions and additional cost burdens.
← All Navy Bases (58)

Editorial policy

  • Source priority. We cite CNIC regional pages, individual installation public-affairs pages on navy.mil, State Department SOFA / treaty pages, and DoD overseas installation listings first. Host-nation context is sourced from official host-nation government pages where relevant. Non-government sources are not used as primary evidence on this page.
  • Independence. NavyWeek.org is not affiliated with the U.S. Navy, the Department of Defense, NAVCO, or any federal agency. We do not accept payment to recommend specific recruiters, schools, vendors, or services.
  • Review cadence. Overseas base totals, host-nation counts, and combatant-command alignment are re-verified whenever the underlying dataset is updated. SOFA references, command-sponsorship framing, and largest-overseas-base claims are re-verified quarterly.
  • Reviewer. The page is reviewed for accuracy by the reviewer named in the byline. The "Last reviewed" date at the top of the page reflects the most recent review pass.
  • Corrections. Factual errors are corrected as soon as we can verify the issue against an official source. See the "Report an outdated fact" link below.
  • Not advice. This page is informational only. For decisions about service, benefits, pay, or assignment, rely on official .mil sources and your chain of command, detailer, recruiter, or accredited representative.
See something out of date? Report an outdated fact or reach the editors via the contact page. Please include a link to the official .gov or .mil source you believe is more current.