US relocates last aircraft carrier stationed in the Pacific – experts see shift in focus

Gregory Poling, a prominent Asia analyst at CSIS, said the Trump administration's foreign policy is visibly shifting toward the Middle East and Western Hemisphere. This contradicts its earlier announcement to treat the Indo-Pacific as a priority region and to reduce military engagement in the Middle East. Poling, quoted verbatim according to the reports: „“

At the same time, according to CSIS, US air defense has used up a significant portion of its reserves. The THAAD system, for example, has expended at least 38 percent of its available interceptors. This figure is significant insofar as THAAD systems are used to defend against ballistic missiles and are considered an important building block of US missile defense and that of its allies in the Pacific, as well as against potential North Korean and Iranian threats.

THAAD reserves depleted

The carrier's relocation also comes amid a phase of growing Chinese naval activity. The People's Republic of China's navy recently conducted joint exercises with the Indonesian navy. Such maneuvers are seen by observers as a signal to the US and its regional partners that Beijing is expanding its sphere of influence in Southeast Asia. Indonesia is among the states that traditionally seek a balance between the great powers.

Pentagon officials have so far not commented in detail on the relocation. Observers, however, point to several high-ranking statements, including remarks by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, according to which the US military is to be more visibly present in the Caribbean and the Persian Gulf in the future. According to experts, these announcements are operationally underpinned by the carrier relocation.

China's naval activities in Southeast Asia

Some analysts interpret the move as an attempt to pool resources to serve priorities in the Middle East – particularly with regard to Iran – without providing new funds. Others see it as an acknowledgment of the Navy's limited capacity to absorb requirements at multiple flashpoints simultaneously. Talk is of a phase of "strategic consolidation" in which Washington is reordering its priorities.

Chinese government officials have not publicly commented on the carrier relocation. However, observers assume that Beijing will factor the decision into its security policy planning. If China expands its exercise activities with regional navies in the coming months, this would, according to CSIS experts, be a clear indication that the US is losing influence in the Pacific.

Impact on allies in the Pacific

Concern about a gap also affects American allies in the region, including Japan, Australia, and the Philippines. These states have for years invested in expanding their own missile and naval forces to prepare for a possible US withdrawal. With the absence of carrier presence, observers warn, pressure increases on bilateral security agreements and the question of more independent defense capabilities.

At the same time, CSIS points out that the decision could be reversible. Aircraft carriers have previously been withdrawn from the Pacific for longer maintenance phases and later returned. A definitive reassessment of the stationing strategy cannot necessarily be inferred from today's reports. Nevertheless, in recent months signals have accumulated that suggest a longer-term shift in priorities.

It remains unclear so far to which waters the aircraft carrier will be relocated. Locations under discussion include the Persian Gulf, as well as entry into service in the Caribbean or on the US East Coast. Official Pentagon confirmation had not been received by editorial deadline.