In 1986 "New Jersey" began her next deployment, this time operating as part of the Pacific Fleet and as the centerpiece of her own battle group. This was first time that "New Jersey" had operational control of her own group of escorts since the Korean War, and she cruised from Hawaii to Thailand in 1986, freeing up U.S. aircraft carriers for other missions and in the process becoming the only major U.S. naval presence in the region from May to October. Although in command of her own Battleship Battlegroup "New Jersey" did sail with the aircraft carriers and and while deployed in 1986.