Recently, some Western ** have reported that the US Navy will deploy five supercarriers in the western Pacific region to send a strong signal to China and North Korea. The news has sparked widespread concern in the international community, with some arguing that it is an unprecedented show of U.S. military power in the Asia-Pacific region, while others fear that it will escalate tensions and even trigger conflict in the region. However, after careful analysis, it is not difficult to find that these reports are exaggerated and misleading, and the deployment of US aircraft carriers is not as the outside world thinks, but a normal rotation and adjustment, which has nothing to do with China and does not pose a threat.
First, let's look at the specifics of American aircraft carriers. According to information released by the US Navy, the United States currently has a total of 11 nuclear-powered aircraft carriers in active service, of which three are on duty in the western Pacific, namely the USS Carl Vinson, the USS Roosevelt and the USS Reagan. Two other aircraft carriers, the USS Lincoln and the USS Washington, are said to have sailed or are about to sail to the western Pacific to hand over the first three carriers. As a result, the number of US aircraft carriers in the western Pacific has reached five, accounting for nearly half of the aircraft carriers in service. This figure does sound staggering, but in reality, it does not mean an increase in the US aircraft carrier force in the Western Pacific, but only a regular rotation and replacement.
In fact, the deployment of aircraft carriers of the US Navy is carried out according to a certain cycle and law, and each aircraft carrier needs to return to its home port regularly for maintenance and maintenance to ensure its combat effectiveness and safety. In general, the deployment cycle of American aircraft carriers is 7 years, of which 4 and a half years are spent on missions overseas and 2 and a half years are carried out at home ports for maintenance. Each overseas deployment lasts from 6 to 10 months, during which patrols and exercises are conducted in different seas and regions, and cooperation and exchanges are carried out with allies and friendly countries. At the end of the deployment cycle, the aircraft carrier also needs to undergo a major overhaul, which will last up to 4 years, during which the aircraft carrier's nuclear reactors, carrier-based aircraft, and ** systems will be comprehensively inspected and updated. Therefore, the actual availability of US aircraft carriers is not much, and it needs to be flexibly adjusted and arranged according to the strategic needs and security situation in various regions.
In the Asia-Pacific region, the U.S. Navy typically maintains a deployment of three aircraft carriers, one of which is a "forward-deployed" aircraft carrier based in Yokosuka, Japan, and the other two are "rotational" aircraft carriers from the U.S. mainland. These three aircraft carriers are subordinate to the United States.
The 3rd, 5th and 7th fleets are responsible for covering the vast expanse of the ocean from the Indian Ocean to the Pacific Ocean, as well as the land adjacent to it. This deployment model has been a practice for many years, and is an important part of the "Asia-Pacific rebalance" strategy implemented by the United States, as well as an important means for the United States to safeguard its interests and influence in the region. The U.S. Navy aims to have 60 percent of its maritime forces deployed in the Asia-Pacific region to address various challenges and threats in the region, particularly the military rise of China and North Korea.
However, this deployment model of the US Navy is not static, but will be adjusted according to the actual situation of each aircraft carrier and the strategic needs of each region. Sometimes, in response to certain emergencies or to demonstrate determination and capability, the U.S. Navy increases or decreases the number of aircraft carriers in a certain area, or has aircraft carriers move quickly between different areas. For example, in 2017, the U.S. Navy deployed two simultaneous carrier battle groups in the Middle East to counter the Iranian threat. In 2018, the U.S. Navy deployed three simultaneous carrier battle groups in the western Pacific to counter North Korea's nuclear and missile provocations. These are temporary adjustments made by the US Navy according to strategic needs, not long-term changes.
Therefore, from this point of view, the deployment of five aircraft carriers by the US Navy in the Western Pacific is not a new or special situation, but a normal rotation and replacement. According to the plans of the US Navy, the aircraft carriers "Carl Vinson" and "Reagan" have ended their deployment in the western Pacific and are about to return to the continental United States for maintenance and upkeep; The aircraft carriers "Lincoln" and "Washington" came to take their place and continue to carry out missions in the western Pacific. During the handover of these two pairs of aircraft carriers, there may be a period of time when they appear in the western Pacific at the same time, but this does not mean that the US Navy's aircraft carrier strength has increased, but only a temporary overlap. Moreover, these aircraft carriers will not be gathered in the same sea area, but will be scattered in different places in the western Pacific Ocean, cooperating and communicating with different countries. Therefore, these aircraft carriers do not constitute a deterrent or threat to China, but only a normal activity of the US Navy.
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