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BumRushDaShow

(163,449 posts) Wed Oct 29, 2025, 10:00 AM Oct 29

Trump's decision to send aircraft carrier to South America will leave Mideast and Europe with none

Source: AP

Updated 12:01 AM EDT, October 29, 2025

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump’s decision to shift the nation’s most advanced aircraft carrier to South America in his campaign against drug cartels is pulling the ship out of the Mediterranean Sea at a time when a tenuous ceasefire between Israel and Hamas has been threatened by new strikes in Gaza.

The U.S. is set to be in the fairly unusual position of having only a single aircraft carrier deployed and none in the waters off both Europe and the Middle East. The change is especially stark after the U.S. joined Israeli strikes on Iran in June and has engaged in some of the most intense combat operations since World War II against Yemen’s Houthi rebels in the Red Sea.

Aircraft carriers, with their thousands of sailors and dozens of warplanes, have long been recognized as one of the ultimate signifiers of U.S. military might and the nation’s foreign policy priorities. There have been five carrier deployments to the Middle East since the Hamas-led attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, including two carriers in the region at multiple points this year and last.

The new orders for the USS Gerald R. Ford illustrate the Trump administration’s increasing focus on the Western Hemisphere and mark a major escalation of firepower as the U.S. military ramps up fatal strikes on alleged drug boats. With a buildup of warships, aircraft and troops already in the region, Trump himself has signaled what could be next.

Read more: https://apnews.com/article/aircraft-carriers-trump-venezuela-middle-east-a458b9c4f1a5690e19d7c532dd6b7fd7

18 replies

= new reply since forum marked as read

Highlight:

Trump's decision to send aircraft carrier to South America will leave Mideast and Europe with none (Original Post) BumRushDaShow Oct 29 OP

It's OK, he's a military genius too. Turbineguy Oct 29 #1

He "knows more than the Generals." surfered Oct 29 #2

He's ceded influence in europe to putin. PSPS Oct 29 #3

So convenient... 2naSalit Oct 29 #4

Further plummeting the USA economy...... Lovie777 Oct 29 #5

Where are the rest of our carrier groups? Miguelito Loveless Oct 29 #6

There is a tracker site - BumRushDaShow Oct 29 #9

Map shows 6 FredGarvin Oct 29 #10

The map has a mix of groups BumRushDaShow Oct 29 #14

OP was off by 40% FredGarvin Oct 29 #12

Not just a carrier! A carrier battle group. Grins Oct 29 #7

What? We only have 1 functioning aircraft carrier? SunSeeker Oct 29 #8

Only one near the Middle East and Europe. IbogaProject Oct 29 #16

There should be 3 near the Middle East and Europe. SunSeeker Oct 29 #17

Gee, what could go wrong here folk? Pas-de-Calais Oct 29 #11

Isn't that just what Pootie wanted? FakeNoose Oct 29 #13

Message to Bibi: go ahead and kill everyone in Gaza. We have fishermen from Venezuela to murder. Lonestarblue Oct 29 #15

We have pretty good coverage in those areas even with out any carriers EX500rider Oct 29 #18

Turbineguy

(39,643 posts)

1. It's OK, he's a military genius too.

Reply to BumRushDaShow (Original post)

Wed Oct 29, 2025, 10:06 AM

Oct 29

On edit:

surfered

(10,347 posts)

2. He "knows more than the Generals."

Reply to BumRushDaShow (Original post)

Wed Oct 29, 2025, 10:13 AM

Oct 29

PSPS

(15,107 posts)

3. He's ceded influence in europe to putin.

Reply to BumRushDaShow (Original post)

Wed Oct 29, 2025, 10:20 AM

Oct 29

In tump's mind, there are three "spheres of influence:"

Europe/middle east, etc: russia
Far east/asia: china
the americas: himself

2naSalit

(98,971 posts)

4. So convenient...

Reply to BumRushDaShow (Original post)

Wed Oct 29, 2025, 10:22 AM

Oct 29

For pooty-poot and bibi.

Lovie777

(21,154 posts)

5. Further plummeting the USA economy......

Reply to BumRushDaShow (Original post)

Wed Oct 29, 2025, 10:23 AM

Oct 29

Miguelito Loveless

(5,360 posts)

6. Where are the rest of our carrier groups?

Reply to BumRushDaShow (Original post)

Wed Oct 29, 2025, 10:33 AM

Oct 29

Last time I looked we had at 11.

BumRushDaShow

(163,449 posts)

9. There is a tracker site -

Reply to Miguelito Loveless (Reply #6)

Wed Oct 29, 2025, 10:54 AM

Oct 29

https://news.usni.org/category/fleet-tracker

Last update Oct. 27 - USNI News Fleet and Marine Tracker: Oct. 27, 2025 (they are only showing 3 "CSG"s deployed)

FredGarvin

(722 posts)

10. Map shows 6

Reply to BumRushDaShow (Reply #9)

Wed Oct 29, 2025, 11:39 AM

Oct 29

Where are the other 5?

BumRushDaShow

(163,449 posts)

14. The map has a mix of groups

Reply to FredGarvin (Reply #10)

Wed Oct 29, 2025, 12:07 PM

Oct 29

The person I was replying to mentioned the Carrier Strike Groups (CSGs), where only 3 are shown.

Wonder if some are just "not active" (maybe getting maintenance).

FredGarvin

(722 posts)

12. OP was off by 40%

Reply to Miguelito Loveless (Reply #6)

Wed Oct 29, 2025, 11:41 AM

Oct 29

Rage baiter AI

Grins

(9,107 posts)

7. Not just a carrier! A carrier battle group.

Reply to BumRushDaShow (Original post)

Wed Oct 29, 2025, 10:51 AM

Oct 29

Carries cannot deploy without support ships to augment and defend the carrier. Cruisers and destroyers go with them - as does a nuclear armed sub!!!

To go after boats powered by Evinrude. This is like using a wrecking ball to swat a mosquito.

SunSeeker

(57,280 posts)

8. What? We only have 1 functioning aircraft carrier?

Reply to BumRushDaShow (Original post)

Wed Oct 29, 2025, 10:52 AM

Oct 29

IbogaProject

(5,432 posts)

16. Only one near the Middle East and Europe.

Reply to SunSeeker (Reply #8)

Wed Oct 29, 2025, 01:18 PM

Oct 29

SunSeeker

(57,280 posts)

17. There should be 3 near the Middle East and Europe.

Reply to IbogaProject (Reply #16)

Wed Oct 29, 2025, 08:11 PM

Oct 29

USS Dwight D. Eisenhower : Deployed in the Red Sea.

USS Carl Vinson : Underway in the Indian Ocean's Andaman Sea.

USS Nimitz : In the Arabian Sea, potentially redeploying.

Map Tracks US Aircraft Carrier Heading Toward Middle East - Newsweek https://www.newsweek.com/uss-nimitz-leaves-western-pacific-middle-east-2073933

The Navy is legally required to maintain 11 aircraft carriers worldwide.

https://nationalsecurityjournal.org/why-the-u-s-navy-legally-needs-11-aircraft-carriers/

Pas-de-Calais

(10,222 posts)

11. Gee, what could go wrong here folk?

Reply to BumRushDaShow (Original post)

Wed Oct 29, 2025, 11:40 AM

Oct 29

FakeNoose

(39,513 posts)

13. Isn't that just what Pootie wanted?

Reply to BumRushDaShow (Original post)

Wed Oct 29, 2025, 11:41 AM

Oct 29

Lonestarblue

(13,127 posts)

15. Message to Bibi: go ahead and kill everyone in Gaza. We have fishermen from Venezuela to murder.

Reply to BumRushDaShow (Original post)

Wed Oct 29, 2025, 01:09 PM

Oct 29

EX500rider

(12,104 posts)

18. We have pretty good coverage in those areas even with out any carriers

Reply to BumRushDaShow (Original post)

Wed Oct 29, 2025, 08:15 PM

Oct 29

The US Air Force operates bases in several Middle Eastern countries, including the largest facility, Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, as well as bases in Iraq (Ain Al Asad and Erbil), Saudi Arabia (Prince Sultan Air Base), Jordan (Muwaffaq al Salti Air Base), and the United Arab Emirates (Al Dhafra Air Base)

There are five main U.S. Air Force operating bases in Europe, which are RAF Lakenheath and Mildenhall in England, Ramstein and Spangdahlem Air Bases in Germany, and Aviano Air Base in Italy. In total, the United States maintains more than 40 military bases across Europe, with many of them being Air Force installations, along with a large number of smaller, geographically separated units.

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