Amid US President Donald Trump’s warning that another aircraft carrier could be deployed in the Arabian Sea, reports say USS George H.W Bush could get the orders in a “matter of hours”.
The Nimitz-class carrier, which is currently stationed off the coast of Virginia, could still take a week to reach the Middle Eastern waters, according to reports. “The order to deploy could be issued in a matter of hours,” the Wall Street Journal cited unnamed officials, who added that the order hasn’t been given and the plans can still change.
The USS George H.W Bush carrier is currently undergoing training off the coast of Virginia. “One of the officials said the Pentagon was readying a carrier to deploy in two weeks, likely from the U.S. East Coast,” the newspaper noted.
The USS George H.W. Bush, which is currently completing her Composite Training Unit Exercise (COMPTUEX) off the coast of Virginia for a scheduled deployment later this year, is likely taking roughly two more weeks.
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Even if the order comes today, the carrier won’t arrive at the Arabian Sea till mid-March. If the Navy decides to forgo the pre-deployment workups, considering the situation, the ship would still have to sail across the Atlantic c to the Mediterranean Sea or even further through the Suez Canal to the Red Sea to reach its operational waters.
The other carrier that could be chosen is the USS George Washington (CVN-73), which is available to deploy from Fleet Activities Yokosuka in Japan. However, this would leave the Indo-Pacific without an aircraft carrier to counter China.
Trump, however, expressed hope that the US can make a great deal with Iran. “Last time they didn't believe I would do it,” President Trump said during the interview, alluding to his decision to strike Iran’s nuclear facilities last June. “They overplayed their hand, but this time the talks are very different, claiming that “we can make a great deal with Iran,” he said.
Meanwhile, the F-35A stealth fighters from the Vermont Air National Guard have begun their journey from the Lakenheath Air Base in the U.K. to Jordan’s Muwaffaq Salti Air Base on Wednesday. Earlier, satellite images showed the deployment of several Patriot air defence batteries in Muwaffaq Salti Air Base, Jordan.
