No US Aircraft Carrier in Mideast for Next Few Months

Local Editor

For the next week, not only will there be no US Navy aircraft carrier in the Middle East, but there will be no American aircraft carriers deployed at sea anywhere else in the world, despite a host of worldwide threats facing the United States.

The USS George H.W. Bush, which was supposed to replace the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, is being held up in the shipyard.

Fox News reported citing a Navy source that there is currently no US Navy aircraft carrier in the Middle East, and none will be deployed until early next year.

The carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower and its accompanying ships returned to the Norfolk Naval Base in Virginia on Friday, after being deployed in the region over the past seven months, Fox News said, adding that the USS George H.W. Bush, which was supposed to be its replacement, has been held up in the shipyard for more than six months.

Factors that contribute to the US Navy not having an aircraft carrier deployed anywhere in the world right now include the congressionally mandated budget cuts known as sequestration had also been felt on the waterfront since 2011.

After billions of dollars were cut from the Navy's budget, ships such as the George H.W. Bush were forced to prolong their time in the shipyards, which had a ripple effect down the line. If the Bush had left the shipyard on time, she would have relieved the Ike in the Gulf or the Mediterranean, reported Fox News citing officials.

While there is no aircraft carrier in the Middle East, other naval units are in the region, the source told Fox News, including an amphibious assault ship manned with thousands of Marines and helicopters and jets.

The last time no US Navy aircraft carrier was stationed in the Middle East was this fall, according to Fox, at the time a French carrier was stationed in the region to fill the gap. The time before that was in 2007.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team