Defense

Carriers in Persian Gulf Delayed

In one of the biggest moves yet in the battle against sequestration, the Pentagon is cutting its aircraft carrier presence in the Persian Gulf region. Defens...

Federal News Radio Custom Media@WTOPWFEDcustom

February 7, 2013 10:32 am

< a min read

In one of the biggest moves yet in the battle against sequestration, the Pentagon is cutting its aircraft carrier presence in the Persian Gulf region. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta has approved the plan to just keep one carrier there. The U.S. has maintained two aircraft carrier groups in the Gulf for most of the last two years. Pentagon Press secretary George Little said in a statement the deployments of the USS Harry S Truman and the USS Gettysburg, a guided-missile cruiser, have been delayed because of budget uncertainty.