West Coast Navy threat response

OK, let's say a large advanced hovering spaceship (the size of an aircraft carrier) from a different planet is teleported to somewhere off the coast of California, maybe 50 miles or something. The spaceship doesn't look active, but the military is concerned it could do something (and later it does, though I'm undecided what exactly for now).

What would be the proper response to something like this? I know there's a Naval Base in San Diego, so do they send ships out to surround the spaceship or something? If so, what ships? Will any destroyers and cruisers do? How many?

If it's airborne, every combat aircraft along the west coast and Nevada/Arizona will be on high alert.

If it's maritime, every combat aircraft along the west coast and Nevada/Arizona will be on high alert.

Navy wise, they'll first observe it (and possibly shadow it) with submarines and recon aircraft like the P-3 Orion. Alternatively you'll have frigates like the Oliver Hazard Perry class shadowing and observing.

Last I checked however there haven't been any aircraft carriers stationed on the West Coast since 1993.

"Allah may guide their bullets, but Jesus helps those who aim down the sights."

For this level of just-plain-weird, they would probably cut urgent orders for the nearest carrier battle group to get there ASAP.

Shinigan (Naruto fanfic)

Flyover, satellites, landing by helicopter, depending on how it's hovering, and what technology works to understand it better.

k a carrier battle group we be sent near by, with some ballistic missle subamrines on standby close enogh to hit it quickly. some of the submarines modified to carry non-nuclear missles would be there as well. we'd probablly send a preadator or naval fire scout in to check it our, and if nothing happened for a while attempt contact though visual means(ala independence day). i'd also bet on extra missle cruisers being brought out of the reserve fleet and all the military bases going to defcon 3, with the local ones on defcon 2. we'd probablly send over any F-35s that are opperational for carrier use too.

I'm baaaaaaack

Epic Fail on your part, as I've only said, at least a half dozen times, that I'm on an aircraft carrier, stationed on the west coast. Specifically, there are 4 active aircraft carriers on the West Coast, and usually one in the shipyards having work done.

As for the OP, there would be at least one carrier battlegroup nearby (probably ~10-20 miles away) with enough room to maneuver and launch/recover aircraft. Depending on the size, and location, it would probably be either between the ship and the coast, or to the south of it (to be closer to San Diego in case aircraft need to emergency land on land instead of the ship). If they could, they would probably scramble two. Every military base west of the Rocky Mountains would go on high alert. Starting most likely with UA Vs and electronic warfare aircraft, we'd do flybys around the whole damn thing, including over/under if possible. Any hostile response would probably be immediately responded to with our equivalent of a Macross Missile Massacre.

That’s the epitome of privilege right there, not considering armed nazis a threat to your life. - Silasw