P eside t
Do ald
T ump& squo;s
wa
agai st
I a
is
placi g
g owi g
p essu e
o
the
US
Navy& squo;s
ai c aft
ca ie
fleet,
with
o e
of
the
se vice& squo;s
key
wa ships
leavi g
the
weste
Pacific
at
a
time
whe
Chi a
is
showi g
i c easi g
asse tive ess
i
the
egio .
The
USS
Geo ge
Washi gto
is
set
to
leave
the
Pacific
a d
eplace
the
USS
Ab aham
Li col
i
the
Middle
East,
whe e
the
Li col & squo;s
deployme t
has
bee
exte ded
well
beyo d
its
o igi al
May
etu
date
to
suppo t
US
ope atio s
agai st
I a ,
AP
ews
age cy
epo ted.
The
move
could
tempo a ily
leave
the
Pacific
without
a
US
ai c aft
ca ie .
While
the
gap
may
be
b ief
if
a othe
ca ie
deploys
i
the
comi g
mo ths,
a alysts
say
the
developme t
highlights
the
st ai
caused
by
p olo ged
ope atio s
i
the
Middle
East.
US
Focus
Shifts
F om
Pacific
To
Middle
East
US
Focus
Shifts
F om
Pacific
To
Middle
East
The
ca ie
deployme t
comes
as
the
T ump
admi ist atio
i c easi gly
focuses
o
the
Middle
East
a d
the
Weste
Hemisphe e,
despite
p eviously
ide tifyi g
the
Pacific
as
a
key
st ategic
p io ity.
“The
admi ist atio
says
that
the
Pacific
is
supposed
to
be
the
most
impo ta t
behi d
the
Weste
Hemisphe e,& dquo;
said
G eg
Poli g,
di ecto
of
the
Southeast
Asia
P og am
at
the
Ce te
fo
St ategic
a d
I te atio al
Studies.
I stead,
he
said,
Washi gto
was
“doi g
the
exact
opposite& dquo;
of
its
ea lie
goal
of
educi g
its
milita y
i volveme t
i
the
Middle
East.
The
shift
is
u settli g
US
allies
i
the
Pacific,
Poli g
said,
while
Beiji g
is
be efiti g
f om
what
he
desc ibed
as
Ame ica
dist actio
a d
f ust atio
amo g
Washi gto & squo;s
egio al
pa t e s.
Chi a
Could
Use
Ca ie
Abse ce
To
P oject
Powe
Chi a
Could
Use
Ca ie
Abse ce
To
P oject
Powe
Chi a
ega ds
the
US
milita y
p ese ce
i
the
I do-Pacific
as
a
challe ge
to
its
ise
a d
its
ambitio s
ega di g
Taiwa ,
the
self-gove i g
isla d
Beiji g
claims
as
its
te ito y.
A alysts
do
ot
expect
Chi a
to
i vade
Taiwa
simply
because
a
US
ai c aft
ca ie
has
left
the
egio .
Howeve ,
the
abse ce
could
p ovide
Beiji g
with
a
oppo tu ity
to
demo st ate
its
milita y
st e gth.
B ya
Cla k,
a
fo me
Navy
subma i e
a d
defe ce
a alyst
at
the
Hudso
I stitute,
said
Chi a
could
use
the
situatio
to
ei fo ce
a
a ative
amo g
cou t ies
such
as
the
Philippi es,
Japa
a d
I do esia
that
Washi gto
ca
o
lo ge
gua a tee
egio al
secu ity.
Chi a
has
ece tly
co ducted
aval
exe cises
with
I do esia
a d
i c eased
milita y
activity
i volvi g
Japa
a d
the
Philippi es.
Beiji g
also
held
milita y
d ills
ea
the
Sca bo ough
Shoal
i
the
South
Chi a
Sea
this
mo th.
Last
mo th,
a
Chi ese
guided-missile
dest oye
co ducted
a
live-fi e
exe cise
ea
Japa & squo;s
southe most
isla d
of
Oki oto i.
US
Seeks
To
Reassu e
Pacific
Allies
US
Seeks
To
Reassu e
Pacific
Allies
Washi gto
is
seeki g
to
eassu e
its
egio al
pa t e s
despite
the
ca ie
gap.
Adm
F a k
B adley,
head
of
the
US
Special
Ope atio s
Comma d,
visited
Ma ila
o
Thu sday
a d
told
Philippi e
officials
that
US
special
ope atio s
fo ces
we e
p epa ed
to
expa d
joi t
exe cises
to
st e gthe
the
allia ce.
He
is
also
expected
to
visit
Japa .
Eva
Sa key,
a
policy
a alyst
at
the
Cato
I stitute
who
focuses
o
US
policy
towa ds
Chi a,
said
ai c aft
ca ie s
offe ed
psychological
eassu a ce
to
Ame ica
allies.
Thei
abse ce,
he
said,
adds
to
the
pe ceptio
that
the
US
is
dist acted
by
eve ts
i
the
Middle
East.
Li col ‘s
Exte ded
Deployme t
Raises
C ew
Co ce s
Li col ‘s
Exte ded
Deployme t
Raises
C ew
Co ce s
The
USS
Ab aham
Li col
has
ow
spe t
mo e
tha
240
co secutive
days
at
sea,
a
eco d
deployme t
that
has
aised
co ce s
ove
the
physical
a d
me tal
st ai
o
its
c ew.
Democ atic
lawmake s
have
called
fo
g eate
sc uti y
of
co ditio s
aboa d
the
ca ie .
The
Navy
has
al eady
faced
difficulties
with
othe
lo g
deployme ts.
The
USS
Ge ald
R.
Fo d
etu ed
home
i
May
afte
a
11-mo th
deployme t,
the
lo gest
si ce
the
Viet am
Wa .
Du i g
that
deployme t,
it
suppo ted
US
ope atio s
agai st
I a
a d
the
captu e
of
Ve ezuela& squo;s
the -leade ,
Nicolás
Madu o.
The
Fo d
also
suffe ed
a
fi e
i
a
lau d y
a ea
that
fo ced
it
to
etu
to
the
Medite a ea
fo
epai s
a d
left
hu d eds
of
sailo s
without
sleepi g
qua te s.
& bsp;
& bsp;
Robe t
Fa ley,
who
teaches
atio al
secu ity
a d
diplomacy
at
the
U ive sity
of
Ke tucky,
said
p olo ged
deployme ts
could
take
a
sig ifica t
psychological
a d
ope atio al
toll
o
c ews.
“People
do & squo;t
get
e ough
est.
It& squo;s
psychologically
exhausti g,& dquo;
Fa ley
said,
wa i g
that
c ews
ca ot
mai tai
peak
efficie cy
i defi itely
without
adequate
est
a d
ecove y.
Ca ie
Fleet
Faces
Mai te a ce
C u ch
Ca ie
Fleet
Faces
Mai te a ce
C u ch
The
p essu e
o
the
ca ie
fleet
also
eflects
questio s
ove
US
pla i g
fo
a
p olo ged
co flict
with
I a .
Cla k
said
the
Navy
could
pote tially
deploy
fou
ca ie s
if
the
USS
Theodo e
Roosevelt
moves
f om
Sa
Diego
towa ds
the
Middle
East,
allowi g
the
Geo ge
Washi gto
to
eve tually
etu
to
the
Pacific.
The
US
Navy
has
11
ai c aft
ca ie s
a d
typically
deploys
two
o
th ee
at
a
time.
Howeve ,
p olo ged
deployme ts
could
c eate
a othe
p oblem:
mai te a ce.
The
Navy& squo;s
ca ie s
will
eve tually
equi e
exte sive
epai s
a d
upkeep,
pote tially
c eati g
bottle ecks
at
the
cou t y& squo;s
two
ca ie
shipya ds.
Cla k
wa ed
that
the
Navy
could
accumulate
a
“mai te a ce
debt& dquo;
lasti g
seve al
yea s,
educi g
the
umbe
of
ca ie s
available
fo
ope atio s
i
the
futu e.