The USS Theodore Roosevelt sails in the Persian Gulf in October 2015. The Roosevelt is now on its way back to the Gulf region, replacing the USS Abraham Lincoln. (US Navy/Mass Communication Spc. Seaman Alex Millar)
The USS Theodore Roosevelt Is Finally on Its Way to the Middle East
The US Navy supercarrier left port more than a month ago, and has made several stops in Asia on its way west.
As of Monday, the United States Navy’s fourth Nimitz-class nuclear-powered supercarrier, the USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71), is now heading to the Middle East, following a brief port call in Singapore.
The Theodore Roosevelt sailed through the Strait of Malacca on Sunday morning, where its Automatic Identification System (AIS) transponder was turned off. That generally means that the warship may be actively practicing operational security (OPSEC) and route secrecy.
The ship could be in the Middle East for a long time. US Navy officials have warned that warship deployments could last as long as 11 months, significantly longer than the 6- to 7-month patrols that have been standard since the end of the Cold War. CVN-71 is now expected to arrive in the US Central Command’s (CENTCOM’s) area of responsibility in the coming week. It will join two other Nimitz-class flattops now on station in the Arabian Sea—the USS George H.W. Bush (CVN-77) and the US Navy’s only forward-deployed aircraft carrier, the USS George Washington (CVN-73).
It’s Been a Busy Year for CVN-71
Even before the USS Theodore Roosevelt arrives in the Middle East, it has already been a busy year for the carrier.
It spent last winter and the spring undergoing post-maintenance sea trials and carrier certifications.
In June, it departed from Naval Base San Diego and headed to Hawaii, where it led this past summer’s Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) international naval exercises. The exercises concluded in August, and the carrier returned to San Diego to prepare for its full deployment.
After it departed again from Naval Base San Diego on September 27, the flagship of CSG-9 made a port call in Yokosuka—-the first time in four years that a non-forward-deployed US aircraft carrier visited the base.
Once in the Pacific, the flattop conducted routine maintenance, resupply, and crew rest before participating in Keen Sword 27, a biennial US-Japan military exercise.
Last week, the USS Theodore Roosevelt also conducted a replenishment-at-sea with the Royal Australian Navy’s Supply-class replenishment oiler HMAS Stalwart (A304) while underway conducting routine operations in the US 7th Fleet area of operations (AOR). The exercise was intended to demonstrate the US Navy’s commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific.
The US Navy Will Probably Continue Rotating Aircraft Carriers for a While
Due to the ongoing Iran war, the US Navy has been forced to rotate carriers to the region, and that included CVN-73, which was operating in the Western Pacific and the South China Sea when it was ordered to the Arabian Sea to relieve the USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72), following reports of morale issues on that warship after it had been at sea without a port visit for more than 250 days.
Once CSG-9 arrives in the region, the US Navy will have three carrier strike groups available should President Donald Trump order renewed airstrikes on Iran. However, it is unclear how long CVN-73 or CVN-77 will remain in the region.
Forward-deployed carriers typically conduct shorter patrols of just four or five months, and the USS George Washington began its current mission on May 23, more than five months ago. It has spent more than half that time in the Middle East, leaving the US Navy without a supercarrier to deter regional adversaries and to project power in the Indo-Pacific, highlighting American resolve and security commitments to regional partners and treaty allies including Japan, South Korea, and the Philippines.
The USS George H.W. Bush, the 10th and final Nimitz-class aircraft carrier, has now been deployed for 224 days, having departed Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia, on March 31. Given the warnings from the US Navy, it may not be until January or February that CVN-77 finally returns home.
About the Author: Peter Suciu
Peter Suciu regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. He has contributed to dozens of newspapers, magazines, and websites over a 30-year career in journalism, including Forbes and Clearance Jobs. He is based in Michigan. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author at Editor@nationalinterest.org.
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