US deploys last aircraft carrier to middle east

The USS George Washington is scheduled to replace the USS Abraham Lincoln in the Middle East, whose deployment was significantly extended due to operations against Iran. The decision to rotate the carrier was made amid concerns about the crew's mental health and logistical difficulties aboard the Lincoln, according to The Associated Press.

The absence of the US carrier battle group in the Pacific could be short-lived if the Navy sends another ship to the region within a few months. However, military analysts note that the indefinite operations against Iran are extremely exhausting for American sailors.

"The administration is arguing that the Pacific should be the most important focus after the Western Hemisphere," noted Greg Poling, director of the CSIS Southeast Asia Studies Program, adding that the US, in contrast, is doing the exact opposite of its promises to disengage from the Middle East.

Pacific allies are concerned about Washington's unpredictability, while Beijing is quite content to have the US distracted and its allies and partners frustrated.

Beijing views the American military presence in the region as an obstacle to its seizure of Taiwan. Hudson Institute expert Brian Clark believes that the aircraft carrier's departure does not mean an immediate invasion of the island, but rather provides China with another opportunity to demonstrate its strength.

Beijing will use this opportunity to demonstrate to the Philippines, Japan, Indonesia, and other countries that the US is no longer the dominant power in the Western Pacific and can no longer guarantee their security.

The US Navy has 11 aircraft carriers and typically deploys two or three of them at a time. However, that number could soon increase to four if the USS Theodore Roosevelt departs San Diego for the Middle East, allowing the USS George Washington to return to the Pacific.

The massive warships will require maintenance, likely leading to delays and congestion at the country's only two shipyards capable of handling aircraft carriers.

"We'll end up with a maintenance backlog that will have to be paid off over the next several years. Our carrier presence will likely be smaller than in previous years as ships queue up at the shipyards," Clark stated.

Photo: U.S. Navy.