The budget stalemate on Capitol Hill has forced the Navy to delay the deployment of the USS Harry S. Truman (CVN-75) aircraft carrier, as well as its air wing, and a cruiser to the Middle East, the Pentagon said yesterday.
Pentagon spokesman George Little released a statement saying Defense Secretary Leon Panetta signed off on a request by the Navy to postpone the deployment, while at the same time keeping the ships ready to depart on short notice if needed. The Ticonderoga-class (CG-47) cruiser affected by the delay is the USS Gettysburg (CG-64).
“Facing budget uncertainty–including a continuing resolution and the looming potential for across-the-board sequestration cuts–the U.S. Navy made this request to the secretary and he approved,” Little said. “This prudent decision enables the U.S. Navy to maintain these ships to deploy on short notice in the event they are needed to respond to national security contingencies.”
“The United States will continue to maintain a robust military presence in the CENTCOM region, including the current carrier presence and a mix of other assets, to fulfill enduring commitments to our partners,” he said. “The U.S. military continues to stand ready to respond to any contingency and to confront any threat in the region.”
The Navy has previously warned that it would have to scale back operations, as well as maintenance and training, if Congress keeps the Pentagon operating on a continuing resolution, which maintains current spending at fiscal 2012 levels. The situation would worsen if Congress cannot avert sequestration by March 1, when the indiscriminate spending cuts known as sequestration are slated to take effect.