The Trump administration’s prolonged focus on the Iran conflict is stretching U.S. Navy carrier operations to the limit and creating what experts describe as a security gap in the western Pacific.
The Navy plans to move the USS George Washington, now deployed in the Pacific, to the Middle East to replace the USS Abraham Lincoln, which has been on a long deployment and has raised mental health concerns among its crew. Unless another carrier is sent soon, the Pacific region will be left without a U.S. aircraft carrier for the time being.
Experts say the move runs counter to Washington’s stated emphasis on the Asia-Pacific and reflects an uneven deployment pattern that concentrates U.S. power in the Middle East. Greg Poling, director at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said the United States is acting in the opposite way from its stated goals, adding that the uncertainty is unsettling Pacific allies while giving China an opening to exploit the dispersion of U.S. forces.
China has recently conducted live-fire exercises and a series of military demonstrations near the Philippines and Japan, underscoring its growing presence in the western Pacific. Analysts say Beijing may not invade Taiwan right away, but it will likely use the carrier gap to reinforce the message that the United States is no longer the dominant power in the Pacific and cannot fully protect its allies.
The strain is also taking a toll on Navy personnel and equipment. The Lincoln has been deployed for more than 240 days, and the USS Gerald R. Ford’s earlier 11-month deployment also drew scrutiny over a fire incident and poor conditions aboard the ship.
