The coronavirus pandemic disrupted the deployment of the U.S. Navy in 2020, but in 2021, as the U.S. Navy initially overcomes the impact of the epidemic, the deployment of U.S. aircraft carriers has gradually returned to normal.
The USS Eisenhower (CVN-69) has departed the U.S. Naval Base Norfolk, Virginia, in the morning for a predeployment integrated training unit exercise.” Eisenhower is expected to go to the Middle East to replace the aircraft carrier Nimitz.
At present, the aircraft carrier Roosevelt is going to the Asia-Pacific region.
After the deployment of the Eisenhower to the Middle East, the U.S.
Navy will return to normalcy and maintain two aircraft carriers on duty around the world.
On January 12th, U.S. time, a naval official confirmed to USNI News that the aircraft carrier USS Eisenhower had left Naval Base in Norfolk, Virginia in the morning for a predeployment integrated training unit exercise (COMPTUEX). .
A spokesman for the U.S. 2nd Fleet was unwilling to confirm the destination of the USS Eisenhower strike brigade. However, Admiral Gild, the Secretary of Operations of the United States Navy, said earlier this week that the U.S. Navy may continue to maintain an aircraft carrier presence at the United States Central Command for the foreseeable future.
According to USNI, the aircraft carrier Eisenhower strike brigade is most likely to go to the Middle East.
Major Ashley Hockchiko, spokesman of the Second Fleet, told USNI on Tuesday: “The USS Eisenhower aircraft carrier strike group is operating in the Atlantic Ocean, demonstrating the inherent flexibility of naval forces.
The entire strike group is being trained to consolidate all the assets of the strike group, test their ability to conduct maritime operations, and ensure that they are prepared for any task.”
It is worth mentioning that the escort lineup of the aircraft carrier “D. Eisenhower” strike brigade is very “luxury”. This time, the aircraft carrier was accompanied by the Ticonderoga-class missile cruisers Monterrey (CG-61) and the Gulf of Villa (CG-72).
The Aly Burke-class missile destroyers USS Mahan (DDG-72), USS Mitchell (DDG-57) and USS Lapon (DDG-58) and the newer USS Thomas Hadner (DDG-116) of the U. Navy. This is also a rare “two-cruise 4-wheel drive” configuration of the U.S. Navy in recent years.
Like the aircraft carrier Roosevelt, which set out in December last year, the aircraft carrier Eisenhower is also a “double pump deployment”, which is the second time in the deployment of the aircraft carrier in a year.
USNI commented that the “double pump deployment” of the two aircraft carriers highlights the continuous pressure on the aircraft carrier’s strength. By 2020, the number of aircraft carrier attendances and days will reach the highest level in five years.
In January last year, the U.S. military dispatched a drone to assassinate Major General Suleimani, the commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, and the situation in the Persian Gulf region was tense. The tense war preparedness forced the U.S. Navy to have a long-term presence of an aircraft carrier in the Middle East.
The USS Nimitz (CVN-68) left the waters around the South China Sea last July and arrived near the Persian Gulf to replace the aircraft carrier Eisenhower, which returned to the east coast in July, and continued to operate in the Middle East.
Subsequently, in November this year, the aircraft carrier Reagan deployed forward by the United States entered the canal. As a result, at the end of this year, the U.S. Navy “has no rich aircraft carrier available”, leaving only one aircraft carrier “Nimetz” on duty worldwide, and the aircraft carrier window in the Indo-Pacific region is empty.
Traditionally, the aircraft carriers operating in the Middle East generally belong to the East Coast, but after the return of the aircraft carrier Eisenhower to Norfolk base last July, there were no aircraft carriers available on the East Coast, and the Nimitz had to come out to the top.
This is also the first time in 10 years that the U.S. Navy has replaced the East Coast aircraft carrier with a West Coast aircraft carrier serving in the Middle East.
The departure of Eisenhower from Norfolk base announced the return of the U.S. Navy to “traditional”. With the Eisenhower on duty at the beginning of the year, the deployment of the U.S. Navy will return to normal in 2021, maintaining two operating aircraft carriers around the world.
