US Pulls Last Asia Carrier to Middle East as 375,000 Troops Still Anchor Region
Updated
Updated · Al Jazeera English · Aug 20
US Pulls Last Asia Carrier to Middle East as 375,000 Troops Still Anchor Region
3 articles · Updated · Al Jazeera English · Aug 20
Summary
USS George Washington left Japan for the Middle East this week, leaving Asia temporarily without a US aircraft carrier as Washington sustains the sixth month of the US-Israel war on Iran.
The redeployment replaces USS Abraham Lincoln after a 272-day stretch and follows earlier moves of THAAD elements from South Korea and drawdowns in missile and munitions stockpiles.
Analysts say the shift dents US deterrence against China at a time when Chinese carriers are pushing beyond the First Island Chain and coastguard activity east of Taiwan has increased since June.
375,000 US military and civilian personnel remain assigned to Indo-Pacific Command, but allies in Japan, Taiwan, South Korea and the Philippines are already boosting defense spending and cooperation.
Experts in Japan, Taiwan and Singapore still see the carrier move as a short-term strain rather than lasting US disengagement, expecting Washington's strategic focus on China to endure.