In August, the United States and NATO supported Ukrainian troops in a counteroffensive into Russian territory, preparing for the end of the Russo-Ukrainian war. At the same time, the US military made significant deployments in the Middle East, sending out two carrier strike groups and a squadron of F-22 fighter jets to deter potential adversaries, effectively preventing the escalation of conflicts in the region. While there were no carrier strike groups in the Western Pacific, B-2 bombers were frequently seen, and F-22s, F-35s, and other fighter jets conducted timely exercises for rapid deployment. The displayed global deployment capability of the US military has deterred any reckless moves by the CCP.
The US has 11 active aircraft carriers, with the first Nimitz-class carrier, the USS Nimitz, built in 1975 costing as high as $1.98 billion, the last USS George H.W. Bush built in 2006 reaching $6.2 billion; the newest Gerald R. Ford-class carrier, built in 2009, reached $12.8 billion. Carriers are expensive in themselves, with daily operating costs averaging from $6 to $8 million. After roughly six months of deployment, each carrier requires maintenance, which is also costly.
The core combat power of carriers is the carrier air wing, with aircraft carriers costing tens of billions of dollars, and the latest F-35C fighter jet costing over $100 million. This is followed by an escort of 3 to 4 destroyers or cruisers, with each Arleigh Burke-class destroyer costing $2.2 billion, capable of air defense, anti-submarine warfare, and ground attack missions. There are also 2-3 submarines, with the current Virginia-class submarine costing $4.3 billion.
The maintenance of the US’s costly carrier strike groups is to ensure global deployment capability, able to quickly reach potential conflict zones. As the situation worsened in the Middle East last year and this year, the US carrier strike groups were timely deployed and played a role, threatening potential adversaries and effectively restraining the escalation of conflicts.
On October 7, 2023, Hamas attacked Israel, leading to the outbreak of the Haifa War. The USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier, cruising in the central Mediterranean, immediately sailed towards the Eastern Mediterranean. A few days later, another US aircraft carrier, the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, left the US East Coast for the Middle East; F-15E, F-16 fighter jets, and A-10 attack aircraft also arrived in the Central Command’s area of responsibility.
Faced with the US’s formidable strength, other anti-Israel armed groups made only symbolic gestures and did not directly intervene in the Haifa conflict. Israel concentrated its military forces, systematically destroying Hamas’s various positions, severely weakening Hamas, which could only scatter and hide. The presence of the US aircraft carrier prevented the escalation of conflicts in the Middle East.
In 2024, the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower aircraft carrier remained stationed in the Middle East until June; the US military was shifting the Roosevelt aircraft carrier from the Western Pacific to the Middle East. On July 31, a leader of Hamas was killed in Iran, reigniting anti-Israel forces in the Middle East. On August 2, the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier had just been deployed to the Western Pacific when it was immediately called on to reinforce the Middle East. The US once again deployed dual aircraft carriers in the Middle East, effectively preventing an escalation of conflicts.
The value of the US aircraft carrier strike groups was fully demonstrated, with the US also deploying F-22 fighter jets to the Middle East, while maintaining the operation of F-16 fighter jets and A-10 attack aircraft in the Central Command’s area of responsibility. The global mobility of the aircraft carrier strike groups remains irreplaceable, solidifying the US’s position as the number one military power and deterring potential adversaries.
For the US aircraft carriers, the Middle East and Indo-Pacific regions are connected, allowing for swift mobilization. The USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier, currently stationed on the East Coast of the US, is ready for action and is expected to travel through the Mediterranean to the Middle East, replacing the USS Theodore Roosevelt aircraft carrier. The USS Roosevelt aircraft carrier should return to the US West Coast via the Pacific. After the situation in the Middle East calms down, the USS Abraham Lincoln is expected to resume its patrols in the South China Sea and the Philippine Sea.
Initially deployed in the Western Pacific, the USS Theodore Roosevelt and USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carriers were sequentially transferred from the Western Pacific to the Middle East, but the US did not deploy additional aircraft carriers to the Pacific. After the USS Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier returned to the US from Japan, it exchanged some personnel with the USS Washington aircraft carrier; the USS Ronald Reagan should be preparing for its scheduled major overhaul, and the USS Washington was not in a rush to replace it in Japan. The USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier returned to the US mainland after participating in the Rim of the Pacific exercise, while the USS Nimitz aircraft carrier remains on standby.
Despite several available aircraft carriers in the US Navy, there have not been immediate replacement deployments in the Western Pacific, potentially due to direct concerns with the current situation of the People’s Liberation Army.
After being notified, the Chinese military continued its deep purge of the Rocket Force, and the political rectification expanded throughout the entire military. The new Chinese Minister of National Defense failed to appoint members to the Central Military Commission at the Third Plenum, with several major regional commanders coming under scrutiny. The Chinese party leader’s serious lack of trust in senior military officers led to the promotion of the Deputy Director of the Military Commission’s Political Department to the rank of General, preparing for a new wave of purges.
On September 2, the Chinese military held a political study conference for senior cadres in Beijing, with all heads of Military Commission departments, directly affiliated institutions, training centers, various theaters, branches of the military, affiliated units, and armed police attending. Vice Chairman of the Military Commission He Weidong delivered a speech, emphasizing the need to “deepen the political construction of the military… firmly adhere to political principles… and implement the Chairman’s responsibility system of the Military Commission.”
The Chinese military’s current greatest concern is mutinies and coups, with the primary task being to identify “two-faced individuals.” The political study conference in Beijing lasted for 6 days. During the closing ceremony on September 7, Vice Chairman of the Military Commission Zhang Youxia delivered a speech, stressing the need to “continuously deepen political rectification… ensuring that all political requirements of the Party’s command over the gun are fully understood and implemented.”
On August 29, in a rare move, Zhang Youxia met with visiting US National Security Advisor Sullivan. Despite Zhang Youxia attempting to draw a red line on the Taiwan issue, his meeting with the US side essentially represented a concession to the US’s request to enhance military communication. The Chinese military is not ceasing provocations, but currently lacks the strength and resources to engage in a tit-for-tat confrontation with the US military, focusing instead on stabilizing internal discord.
On September 6, the Chinese military’s newspaper published an article titled “Tempering the Political Character of Loyalty to the Party.” The article emphasized that “loyalty” is of utmost importance and “must not falter or show fatigue in battle;” it also stressed the need to maintain strict political discipline and regulations, uprooting and eliminating any negative factors that may affect the revolutionary spirit, weaken the revolutionary will, or diminish the commitment.
The large-scale political rectification within the Chinese military has just begun, leaving many individuals susceptible to the label of “battle-fatigue.” At this time, the top Chinese leadership is concerned about potential internal turmoil, especially amidst ongoing disasters on the Chinese mainland and a series of typhoons, diminishing the likelihood of China’s reckless military actions against Taiwan, leading the US to temporarily withhold further deployments of aircraft carriers to the Western Pacific.
However, the US deployed another amphibious assault ship, the USS Boxer, to maintain the versatility of the Navy Marine Corps in the Western Pacific; the USS America, stationed in Japan, began to assume a role similar to a light aircraft carrier.
In August, the US aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln was also shifted from the Western Pacific to the Middle East to ensure deterrence. The US B-2 bombers were deployed in Australia, and their movements were publicly disclosed, a practice that US military normally avoids to maintain operational security. By doing so, the US was sending a clear warning to China, indicating that even without aircraft carriers in the region, it could still deploy lethal force at any moment. The distance from Australia to the South China Sea is similar to that from Guam, but Australia lies beyond the medium-range missile range of the CCP.
Subsequently, the US deliberately released information about B-2 bombers being refueled in Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean. This strategic point in the Indo-Pacific region has seen B-2 bombers in the past. If the B-2 bombers took off from Diego Garcia and headed northwest, they could strike targets in the Middle East; if they flew northeast, they could potentially enter mainland China for air strike missions. This move was another warning to the CCP.
While the Chinese military is preoccupied with internal challenges, the US remains vigilant. On August 26, the Chinese military’s website reported that a brigade of the 72nd Group Army conducted sea combat shooting exercises in the hinterland of Fujian. On September 4, the Taiwanese military reported detecting various types of Chinese combat aircraft, helicopters, drones, amphibious ships, and cargo ships loaded with ground forces conducting joint landing exercises near Dacheng Bay in Dongshan, Fujian.
The threat from China remains ever-present, and the US military and its allies must always be prepared for combat.
From August 15 to 30, the US conducted the Red Flag-Alaska 24-3 exercise in Alaska, with F-22s, F-35s, and Australian F-35s participating, practicing rapid reinforcement from Alaska to the Western Pacific. The deployment of US fifth-generation fighters and bombers is expected to be much faster than that of carrier strike groups, enabling them to engage in combat operations promptly.
During the sinking exercise in the Rim of the Pacific military drill, the US specifically practiced sinking a decommissioned amphibious assault ship and a dock landing ship, showcasing the US’s counterattack capabilities. Air strikes are crucial in countering China, leaving China helpless and defenseless.
China has been attempting to provoke and coerce the Philippines, leading the Philippines to tighten its reliance on the US. Following the deployment of the US Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile system in the Philippines, China, knowing that imitating the S-300-like HQ-9 air defense missiles would be difficult to intercept, remains stuck.
As the Chinese Rocket Force undergoes purging, Japan’s Defense White Paper revealed a significant reduction in the number of Chinese Dongfeng-21 missiles, diminishing the combat effectiveness of Chinese missiles and their confidence in breaching the US-made Patriot missiles and Aegis defense system. In the event of a conflict, the US missiles are expected to achieve results, while Chinese missiles may falter.
The US’s numerous allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific region provide essential bases for various counterattack weapons. The threats posed by China to Japan, Taiwan, the Philippines, and other neighboring countries only strengthen the relationship between the US military and its allies, leaving China further isolated and ultimately defeated in the military race.
The deployment of two US aircraft carriers from the Indo-Pacific to the Middle East showcased the US’s global deployment capability and its readiness to win a limited war. Despite observing the absence of US aircraft carriers in the Western Pacific, China remains fearful of the US’s aerial strike capabilities. With internal turmoil and instability, China is unlikely to make any daring moves at this time. As long as the US and its allies remain vigilant and prepared, China’s ambitions will be difficult to realize, and any reckless actions by China may lead to a more destructive outcome.
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