U.S. Media: Multiple Aircraft Carriers Unable to Restore Combat Capability for Years

According to a report by Reference News Network on September 3, the Russian news agency Sputnik reported on September 3 that the U.S. New York Times stated that several U.S. aircraft carriers are undergoing long-term repairs at shipyards and will not be able to regain combat capability for several years.

Military operations against Iran have forced the Pentagon to reallocate forces in various regions. The USS George Washington, stationed in Japan, has been dispatched to the Middle East to replace the USS Abraham Lincoln, resulting in a temporary absence of U.S. carrier deployments in the Western Pacific.

The report states that the U.S. Navy currently has only 11 aircraft carriers, of which 4 are deployed on missions. Some of the remaining carriers are undergoing long-term repairs at shipyards and will not be able to regain combat capability for several years.

The U.S. Navy has repeatedly encountered technical failures during military operations against Iran. For example, the latest USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier returned in May after an 11-month deployment, suffering significant wear and is currently under repair, expected to take at least a year. In March, a fire broke out in the ship's laundry, taking over 30 hours to extinguish, resulting in the complete destruction of crew quarters. In February, the ship's sewage system also experienced failures.