I don’t have live access to the latest feeds right now, but I can share what’s publicly known about USS John P. Murtha (LPD-26) recent notable events up through early 2026 and point you to reliable sources for the very latest.
Direct answer
- As of April 2026, USS John P. Murtha was reported to have supported NASA’s Artemis II recovery operations for the Orion spacecraft, serving as a recovery vessel during early April 2026 tests. After that mission phase, reporting indicated Murtha returned to homeport in San Diego, with coverage noting it played a key role in Artemis II recovery work.[5][7]
Key context and sources
- Artemis II recovery role: Murtha was cited as the primary recovery platform for the Orion crewed spacecraft during Artemis II, including carrying MH-60S helicopters and participating in URT-10/URT-related activities off the coast of San Diego. This mission was part of a broader program involving NASA and the U.S. Navy’s testing and recovery operations.[4][7]
- Maintenance and deployment segments in 2022: Earlier in 2022, Murtha underwent port calls in San Diego for maintenance issues and floated deployments as part of the Makin Island ARG, with reports detailing a lube oil system repair and other in-deployment maintenance events.[1][2]
- Real-time trackers and fleet pages: Public ship-tracker and official Navy pages tracked Murtha’s location and mission status during Artemis II recovery work and related exercises in early 2026.[3][6]
- News coverage: U.S. Navy and independent outlets covered Murtha’s Artemis II recovery role and its return to port, with outlets like NewsNation and USNI News reporting on the vessel’s activities and its return to Naval Base San Diego after Artemis II-related operations.[9][5]
What to check for the latest
- Artemis II status updates and Orion recovery operations: NASA and U.S. Navy press releases or official mission briefs around May 2026 will confirm Murtha’s current status and any follow-on recovery duties.[6][7]
- Current port of call and deployment status: The official Pacific Fleet/US Indo-Pacific Command pages and ship trackers often update Murtha’s location in near-real time, useful for whether it’s underway, in port, or assigned to a new exercise.[3][6]
If you’d like, I can search for the very latest articles and pull a concise update with links and timestamps. I can also summarize Artemis II’s recovery operations and Murtha’s specific role in a short, digestible briefing.
Sources
Track USS John P. Murtha (LPD-26) current location for FREE in real-time with our live military ship tracker. View USS John P. Murtha's latest position, route, speed, course history, itinerary updates, port destinations, estimated arrival times, and more about this United States Navy ship.
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www.surfpac.navy.milAmphibious warship USS John P. Murtha (LPD-26) is back in San Diego to fix an unspecified maintenance issue after departing on deployment last week, USNI News has learned. Ship spotters saw the 25,000-ton warship entering San Diego harbor on Tuesday. Murtha left San Diego on Nov. 9 for its deployment as part of the Makin Island Amphibious Ready Group. A spokesperson for Expeditionary Strike Group 3 told USNI News the warship was back in port to “evaluate a maintenance issue.” The spokesperson...
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www.surfpac.navy.milThe official website of the United States Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM)
www.pacom.milAmphibious warship USS John P. Murtha (LPD-26) is back in San Diego to fix an unspecified maintenance issue after departing on deployment last week, USNI News has learned. Ship spotters saw the 25,000-ton warship entering San Diego harbor on Tuesday. Murtha left San Diego on Nov. 9 for its deploy...
forum.navyadvancement.comAmphibious warship USS John P. Murtha (LPD-26) left San Diego, Calif., on Thursday after two days of repairs, USNI News has learned. The ship left San Diego just after 11 a.m. local time, according to local ship spotters. The amphib, assigned to the Makin Island Amphibious Ready Group, returned to port after deploying last week. A spokesperson from Expeditionary Strike Group 3 told USNI News that Murtha suffered a casualty in the ship’s lube oil system that was repaired. The spokesperson did...
news.usni.org