US moves carrier USS George Washington from Pacific to Middle East

The US Navy is relocating the aircraft carrier USS George Washington from the western Pacific to the Middle East to replace the USS Abraham Lincoln, whose deployment has been extended beyond May to support operations against Iran. The move leaves a gap in the US military presence in Asia at a time when China has increased naval exercises near Japan, the Philippines, and Indonesia.

Analysts quoted by ABC News say the shift strains US resources and unsettles Pacific allies. Greg Poling of the Center for Strategic and International Studies said the US was doing the exact opposite of its stated aim to reduce Middle East involvement. Bryan Clark of the Hudson Institute said Beijing is using the carrier's absence to argue the US is no longer the dominant power in the region.

The USS Abraham Lincoln has spent over 240 consecutive days at sea, a record. Democratic lawmakers have called for investigations into conditions aboard the carrier. The US Navy has 11 aircraft carriers but only two shipyards capable of major maintenance, raising concerns about future repair backlogs.