The U.S. Launches "Aircraft Carrier Wheel Battle" Against Iran: Is It Helplessness or a Conspiracy?

Days ago, the U.S. Navy's USS Washington aircraft carrier just replaced the USS Lincoln, which had been deployed at sea for over 200 days, to carry out blockade and readiness missions against Iran in the northern Arabian Sea. The U.S. Navy has now dispatched another aircraft carrier to serve as a replacement for the USS Washington. On August 27 local time, U.S. Navy officials stated that the USS Roosevelt and its 5,000 crew members will be sent to the Middle East in the coming weeks to replace the USS Washington, undertaking a deployment mission for at least seven months.

China Central Television's Global News "Dongguan Military Situation" provides an interpretation:

Is it an unavoidable rotation or a deliberate military exercise?

Since the outbreak of hostilities with Iran, the U.S. military's high-intensity operational deployments and actions have continuously squeezed the space for personnel rest, equipment maintenance, and military rotations. Previously, it was reported that sailors on the USS Lincoln faced living conditions and mental health issues due to the high operational tempo and long deployment, with several individuals even experiencing mental breakdowns and attempting to jump overboard.

Military commentator Wei Dongxu believes that the U.S. Navy's dispatch of the USS Washington to replace the USS Lincoln is to maintain pressure on Iran, continue maritime blockades, and be prepared to engage in combat at any time. For the U.S., in the process of competing with Iran, nuclear-powered aircraft carriers serve as both combat tools and negotiation chips, and before this round of Middle Eastern crises ends, aircraft carriers cannot be absent from the front lines.

Wei Dongxu believes that the implementation of "aircraft carrier rotation warfare" against Iran is based on two considerations from the U.S. side.

First, the Nimitz-class aircraft carriers have long service lives but face constant minor issues. The Ford-class carriers have unstable performance and are deployed with existing problems. With both new and old carriers in poor condition, more frequent rotations are necessary to ensure that frontline deployments and operations do not encounter major issues.

Second, having all deployed aircraft carriers available for combat is seen as an opportunity to treat military actions against Iran as real combat training, using the crisis area as a training ground. For nearly two decades, most combat operations involving U.S. Navy carrier strike groups have been one-way attacks—carrier-based aircraft bombing designated targets, escort destroyers launching cruise missiles for long-range strikes, with carrier strike groups rarely facing systematic and sustained attacks. However, in operations and blockade missions against Iran, U.S. Navy strike groups face direct threats from long-range suicide drones and ballistic missiles. In responding to incoming missiles and drones, the early warning and air defense missile systems of the carrier strike groups will be put to the test. Therefore, it cannot be ruled out that the "aircraft carrier rotation warfare" is also a premeditated strategy by the U.S. Navy.

Leveraging actions against Iran to secure more resources

The U.S. Naval Institute News reported on August 26 that since initiating military actions against Iran in February of this year, the U.S. has continuously deployed aircraft carriers to the Middle East, and the U.S. Navy is facing the longest deployment cycle in decades. U.S. Navy Chief of Operations Admiral Daryl Caudle stated that the ongoing conflict with Iran is putting pressure on the U.S. Navy fleet.

Wei Dongxu believes that the series of issues exposed by the USS Lincoln and USS Ford during their missions reflect the weakening of the U.S. Navy's ability to maintain and support aircraft carriers. Of course, the U.S. Navy, which is adept at "crying poor," will also use these issues to request more funding and resources from Congress and higher-ups. For example, they may seek to establish more logistics supply points in the Indian Ocean, increase supply ships, and request funding to improve the aircraft carrier maintenance system. It is foreseeable that the conflict with Iran will have a multi-faceted impact on the U.S. Navy's development and use of aircraft carriers.

Commentator｜Wei Dongxu