For The First Time Since World War II, No US Carriers Are Deployed Anywhere In The World
by Tyler Durden
ZeroHedge.com
Jan 1, 2017
Last weekend, when commenting on China’s public demonstration of its one and only aircraft carrier, which China then proceeded to sail in close proximity to Taiwan to make a clear diplomatic “statement”, we noted something tangentially troubling: ” a quick look at the latest positioning of US aircraft carriers, amphibious ready groups, and other navies around the globe shows a gaping hole in the region of the East or South China Sea, and even in proximity to Japan, a place where the US navy traditionally has maintained at least one carrier group. In fact, according to Stratfor, the only active carrier group is USS Dwight D. Eisenhower CSG, conducting naval operations in the U.S. 6th Fleet area of operations in support of U.S. national security interests in Europe.”
As it turned out, the Eisenhower carrier group was on its way back to dock in Norfolk, VA, which means that for the next several weeks, not only will there be no U.S. Navy aircraft carrier in the Middle East or the South China Sea, but as Fox News reports, “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 absence of a deployed U.S. Navy aircraft carrier, long seen as a symbol of American power projection, is noteworthy. According to Fox, it is believed to be the first time since World War II that at least one U.S. aircraft carrier has not been deployed.
As it further reports, the carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower and her strike group returned to Norfolk, Va., Friday following a seven-month deployment. The Ike launched hundreds of airstrikes against ISIS in Iraq and Syria from both the Mediterranean Sea and the Persian Gulf. Two destroyers in the carrier’s strike group also saw combat. The USS Nitze and USS Mason were attacked in the Red Sea when allegedly Iranian-backed Houthi forces in Yemen launched cruise missiles, which were intercepted by the Mason. A retaliatory strike by the Nitze destroyed the radar installations in Yemen in October, even though in the meantime speculation emerged that the attack may have been coordinated by Saudi interests in an attempt to stage another “false flag” attack on US military assets.
The latest summary of US naval forces around the globe as of the last week of December is shown in the map below courtesy of Stratfor. As of this moment, the Eisenhower has crossed the Atlantic and is back at Norfolk base.
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