{"id":37378,"date":"2021-02-26T20:08:18","date_gmt":"2021-02-26T20:08:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2021\/02\/26\/austin-mulling-whether-to-send-carrier-ike-back-to-the-middle-east\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T07:42:46","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T07:42:46","slug":"austin-mulling-whether-to-send-carrier-ike-back-to-the-middle-east","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/naval\/2021\/02\/26\/austin-mulling-whether-to-send-carrier-ike-back-to-the-middle-east\/","title":{"rendered":"Austin mulling whether to send carrier Ike back to the Middle East"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">ABOARD AIRCRAFT CARRIER USS NIMITZ \u2015 Fewer than seven months have passed since the<a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/naval\/2020\/09\/20\/after-a-grueling-deployment-the-carrier-eisenhower-gets-set-for-a-dubious-double-pump\/\" target=_blank> aircraft carrier Dwight D. Eisenhower <\/a>returned from sea, with no port calls due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but the crew and its strike group are getting ready to head out again imminently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Standing in the hangar of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/news\/your-military\/2021\/02\/26\/austin-visits-aircraft-carrier-nimitz-weighs-warship-needs-in-pacific-mideast\/\" target=_blank>carrier Nimitz<\/a> on Thursday, floating off the West Coast as it returns from its own record-smashing 10-month deployment, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/news\/your-military\/2020\/12\/21\/lloyd-austin-bidens-profoundly-private-pentagon-pick-joins-twitter\/\" target=_blank>Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin<\/a> told reporters he hadn\u2019t yet decided whether Ike would <a href=\"https:\/\/www.navytimes.com\/news\/your-navy\/2021\/02\/26\/after-historically-long-deployment-nimitz-is-almost-home\/\" target=_blank>replace Nimitz in the Middle East<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/news\/your-navy\/2021\/02\/26\/after-historically-long-deployment-nimitz-is-almost-home\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"158\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Nimitz_CNO.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">After historically long deployment, Nimitz is almost home<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">The carrier strike group is wrapping up the longest deployment since the Vietnam War<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Of particular concern is whether a persistent Middle East carrier presence is necessary to keep Iran in line, an argument often made by U.S. Central Command boss Marine Gen. Frank McKenzie.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI\u2019ve not reached a decision on that yet,\u201d Austin said, adding that he would confer with combatant command and Pentagon leadership in the coming days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"3447\" height=\"2298\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AustinNimitz1.jpg.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-79990\" srcset=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AustinNimitz1.jpg.jpg 3447w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AustinNimitz1.jpg.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AustinNimitz1.jpg.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AustinNimitz1.jpg.jpg?resize=1024,683 1024w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AustinNimitz1.jpg.jpg?resize=1536,1024 1536w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AustinNimitz1.jpg.jpg?resize=2048,1365 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 3447px) 100vw, 3447px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, center, arrives on the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz, Thursday, Feb. 25, 2021, at sea. Austin told sailors on the USS Nimitz Thursday that he hopes to avoid long ship deployments like the more than 10 months they just spent at sea. But as he made his first aircraft carrier visit as Pentagon chief, he acknowledged the competing demands for American warships around the globe as he wrestles with security threats from China in the Pacific and Iran in the Middle East.  The Nimitz, which left its homeport of Bremerton, Washington, last April, has been at sea for nearly 300 days, including several weeks of pre-deployment exercises.  (AP Photo\/Lolita Baldor)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Fulfilling that consistent request currently means deploying a limited number of aging carriers for long stretches, multiple times within a 12-month span, giving sailors little time to decompress and even less time to perform maintenance that piles up the longer the carriers are in service.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Out of 11 commissioned carriers, five are in maintenance, two are returned or just returning from a deployment, two are preparing for their next and the newest model is not yet ready for a full-fledged deployment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If not the Middle East, Ike could head to U.S. Indo-Pacific Command as part of a two-carrier patrol alongside Theodore Roosevelt, which just relieved the Japan-based carrier Ronald Reagan after five months underway, the longest patrol for a forward-deployed carrier in 20 years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Balancing the Iran threat with the push to for more presence in the eastern Pacific will be a major feature of Austin\u2019s tenure at the Pentagon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI\u2019d like to have a carrier in every spot in the world, you know? But it\u2019s just not possible \u2026 because we don\u2019t have those kinds of resources,\u201d he told Military Times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Biden administration, like its predecessor, is reviewing placement and employment of U.S. troops around the world, to include the Middle East, where tensions with Iran persist, but troops have been reduced to 2,500 each in Iraq and Afghanistan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That\u2019s expected to finish this summer. Theoretically, Austin said, he would be open to turning down one of CENTCOM\u2019s requests, which isn\u2019t unprecedented.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/news\/your-military\/2021\/02\/03\/as-nimitz-heads-home-questions-arise-about-carrier-presence-in-middle-east\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"124\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/50851746233_666d53dbb5_k.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">As Nimitz heads home, questions arise about carrier presence in Middle East<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">The aircraft carrier Nimitz is heading home after an extra-long deployment, amid questions of whether that should be the norm.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe\u2019ve made decisions in the past to gap the carrier in the Middle East, and as we do that, we do things to make sure that we have resources in the right place to ensure we can respond to contingencies when they arise,\u201d he said, which include Air Force assets able to scramble and deploy weapons when called upon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Austin was mindful of the human cost of long and repeated deployments, taking to Nimitz\u2019s loudspeaker on Wednesday to address the crew and thank them for holding together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201c\u2026they know that at some point there\u2019ll be some unexpected things that will happen, some requirements that are a little but tougher,\u201d he told reporters later, asked about the strain it puts on sailors when there are only months between deployments, or in Nimitz\u2019s case, where a six-month underway turned into 10.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Austin likened the extension to the early days in Iraq, when year-long deployments became 15- and 18-month slogs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cSo as secretary, what I want to do is make sure that \u2014 No. 1, going forward, we do everything we can to minimize that kind of stress, that we do what\u2019s necessary to take care of our equipment, but most importantly our people, our families,\u201d he said. \u201cI know the impact that that can have.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And that may mean some periods where Iran won\u2019t have a strike group floating off of its coast.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201c&#8230; there\u2019s going to be gaps at periods of time and again, we\u2019re going to look at ourselves and make sure our resources are in alignment with our priorities, based on our strategy going forward,\u201d Austin said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin visited the carrier Nimitz as they finished another record-breaking deployment.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":48074,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_acf":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":16,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_smg_distribution_targets":[]},"categories":[160,11,47,16,36,19],"tags":[],"coauthors":[3356],"class_list":["post-37378","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-daily-news-roundup","category-global","category-mideast-africa","category-naval","category-newsletters","category-pentagon"],"acf":{"subheadline":"","legacy_arc_id":"T4RT3D5EABENZKFA3TJ3BYDSTU","arc_canonical_url":"\/news\/your-military\/2021\/02\/26\/austin-mulling-whether-to-send-carrier-ike-back-to-the-middle-east\/","remove_feature_photo":false,"is_sponsored":false,"subtype":"","redirect_url":"","disable_inline_ads":false,"native_logo_pretext":"Presented By:"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.0 (Yoast SEO v28.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Austin mulling whether to send carrier Ike back to the Middle East - Defense News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin visited the carrier Nimitz as they finished another record-breaking deployment.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Austin mulling whether to send carrier Ike back to the Middle East\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin visited the carrier Nimitz as they finished another record-breaking deployment.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/naval\/2021\/02\/26\/austin-mulling-whether-to-send-carrier-ike-back-to-the-middle-east\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Defense News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2021-02-26T20:08:18+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-08-08T07:42:46+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Meghann Myers\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Meghann Myers\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\n\t    \"@context\": \"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\n\t    \"@graph\": [\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"Article\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/naval\\\/2021\\\/02\\\/26\\\/austin-mulling-whether-to-send-carrier-ike-back-to-the-middle-east\\\/#article\",\n\t            \"isPartOf\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/naval\\\/2021\\\/02\\\/26\\\/austin-mulling-whether-to-send-carrier-ike-back-to-the-middle-east\\\/\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"author\": {\n\t                \"name\": \"migration\",\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/cc76c831bb37a926738c8391fca7a3b1\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"headline\": \"Austin mulling whether to send carrier Ike back to the Middle East\",\n\t            \"datePublished\": \"2021-02-26T20:08:18+00:00\",\n\t            \"dateModified\": \"2026-08-08T07:42:46+00:00\",\n\t            \"mainEntityOfPage\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/naval\\\/2021\\\/02\\\/26\\\/austin-mulling-whether-to-send-carrier-ike-back-to-the-middle-east\\\/\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"wordCount\": 790,\n\t            \"commentCount\": 0,\n\t            \"publisher\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/#organization\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"image\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/naval\\\/2021\\\/02\\\/26\\\/austin-mulling-whether-to-send-carrier-ike-back-to-the-middle-east\\\/#primaryimage\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"thumbnailUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/ike.jpg.jpg\",\n\t            \"articleSection\": [\n\t                \"Daily News Roundup\",\n\t                \"Global\",\n\t                \"Mideast Africa\",\n\t                \"Naval\",\n\t                \"Newsletters\",\n\t                \"Pentagon\"\n\t            ],\n\t            \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t            \"potentialAction\": [\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"CommentAction\",\n\t                    \"name\": \"Comment\",\n\t                    \"target\": [\n\t                        \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/naval\\\/2021\\\/02\\\/26\\\/austin-mulling-whether-to-send-carrier-ike-back-to-the-middle-east\\\/#respond\"\n\t                    ]\n\t                }\n\t            ]\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"WebPage\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/naval\\\/2021\\\/02\\\/26\\\/austin-mulling-whether-to-send-carrier-ike-back-to-the-middle-east\\\/\",\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/naval\\\/2021\\\/02\\\/26\\\/austin-mulling-whether-to-send-carrier-ike-back-to-the-middle-east\\\/\",\n\t            \"name\": \"Austin mulling whether to send carrier Ike back to the Middle East - Defense News\",\n\t            \"isPartOf\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/#website\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"primaryImageOfPage\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/naval\\\/2021\\\/02\\\/26\\\/austin-mulling-whether-to-send-carrier-ike-back-to-the-middle-east\\\/#primaryimage\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"image\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/naval\\\/2021\\\/02\\\/26\\\/austin-mulling-whether-to-send-carrier-ike-back-to-the-middle-east\\\/#primaryimage\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"thumbnailUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/ike.jpg.jpg\",\n\t            \"datePublished\": \"2021-02-26T20:08:18+00:00\",\n\t            \"dateModified\": \"2026-08-08T07:42:46+00:00\",\n\t            \"description\": \"Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin visited the carrier Nimitz as they finished another record-breaking deployment.\",\n\t            \"breadcrumb\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/naval\\\/2021\\\/02\\\/26\\\/austin-mulling-whether-to-send-carrier-ike-back-to-the-middle-east\\\/#breadcrumb\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t            \"potentialAction\": [\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ReadAction\",\n\t                    \"target\": [\n\t                        \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/naval\\\/2021\\\/02\\\/26\\\/austin-mulling-whether-to-send-carrier-ike-back-to-the-middle-east\\\/\"\n\t                    ]\n\t                }\n\t            ]\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"ImageObject\",\n\t            \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/naval\\\/2021\\\/02\\\/26\\\/austin-mulling-whether-to-send-carrier-ike-back-to-the-middle-east\\\/#primaryimage\",\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/ike.jpg.jpg\",\n\t            \"contentUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/ike.jpg.jpg\"\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"BreadcrumbList\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/naval\\\/2021\\\/02\\\/26\\\/austin-mulling-whether-to-send-carrier-ike-back-to-the-middle-east\\\/#breadcrumb\",\n\t            \"itemListElement\": [\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ListItem\",\n\t                    \"position\": 1,\n\t                    \"name\": \"Home\",\n\t                    \"item\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/\",\n\t                    \"ad_zone\": \"home\"\n\t                },\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ListItem\",\n\t                    \"position\": 2,\n\t                    \"name\": \"Naval\",\n\t                    \"item\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/naval\\\/\",\n\t                    \"ad_zone\": \"naval\"\n\t                },\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ListItem\",\n\t                    \"position\": 3,\n\t                    \"name\": \"Austin mulling whether to send carrier Ike back to the Middle East\"\n\t                }\n\t            ]\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"WebSite\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/#website\",\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/\",\n\t            \"name\": \"Defense News\",\n\t            \"description\": \"Covering the politics, business and technology of defense | Defense News\",\n\t            \"publisher\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/#organization\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"potentialAction\": [\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"SearchAction\",\n\t                    \"target\": {\n\t                        \"@type\": \"EntryPoint\",\n\t                        \"urlTemplate\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"\n\t                    },\n\t                    \"query-input\": {\n\t                        \"@type\": \"PropertyValueSpecification\",\n\t                        \"valueRequired\": true,\n\t                        \"valueName\": \"search_term_string\"\n\t                    }\n\t                }\n\t            ],\n\t            \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\"\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"Organization\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/#organization\",\n\t            \"name\": \"Defense News\",\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/\",\n\t            \"logo\": {\n\t                \"@type\": \"ImageObject\",\n\t                \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\n\t                \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/defensenews-logo-white.png\",\n\t                \"contentUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/defensenews-logo-white.png\",\n\t                \"caption\": \"Defense News\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"image\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"\n\t            }\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"Person\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/cc76c831bb37a926738c8391fca7a3b1\",\n\t            \"name\": \"migration\",\n\t            \"image\": {\n\t                \"@type\": \"ImageObject\",\n\t                \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=gcf4cb6ee0ec29e49e7a963234e4340ec\",\n\t                \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\n\t                \"contentUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\n\t                \"caption\": \"migration\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/author\\\/migration\\\/\"\n\t        }\n\t    ]\n\t}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Austin mulling whether to send carrier Ike back to the Middle East - Defense News","description":"Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin visited the carrier Nimitz as they finished another record-breaking deployment.","robots":{"index":"noindex","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Austin mulling whether to send carrier Ike back to the Middle East","og_description":"Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin visited the carrier Nimitz as they finished another record-breaking deployment.","og_url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/naval\/2021\/02\/26\/austin-mulling-whether-to-send-carrier-ike-back-to-the-middle-east\/","og_site_name":"Defense News","article_published_time":"2021-02-26T20:08:18+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-08-08T07:42:46+00:00","author":"Meghann Myers","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Meghann Myers","Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/naval\/2021\/02\/26\/austin-mulling-whether-to-send-carrier-ike-back-to-the-middle-east\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/naval\/2021\/02\/26\/austin-mulling-whether-to-send-carrier-ike-back-to-the-middle-east\/"},"author":{"name":"migration","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/#\/schema\/person\/cc76c831bb37a926738c8391fca7a3b1"},"headline":"Austin mulling whether to send carrier Ike back to the Middle East","datePublished":"2021-02-26T20:08:18+00:00","dateModified":"2026-08-08T07:42:46+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/naval\/2021\/02\/26\/austin-mulling-whether-to-send-carrier-ike-back-to-the-middle-east\/"},"wordCount":790,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/naval\/2021\/02\/26\/austin-mulling-whether-to-send-carrier-ike-back-to-the-middle-east\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/ike.jpg.jpg","articleSection":["Daily News Roundup","Global","Mideast Africa","Naval","Newsletters","Pentagon"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/naval\/2021\/02\/26\/austin-mulling-whether-to-send-carrier-ike-back-to-the-middle-east\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/naval\/2021\/02\/26\/austin-mulling-whether-to-send-carrier-ike-back-to-the-middle-east\/","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/naval\/2021\/02\/26\/austin-mulling-whether-to-send-carrier-ike-back-to-the-middle-east\/","name":"Austin mulling whether to send carrier Ike back to the Middle East - Defense News","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/naval\/2021\/02\/26\/austin-mulling-whether-to-send-carrier-ike-back-to-the-middle-east\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/naval\/2021\/02\/26\/austin-mulling-whether-to-send-carrier-ike-back-to-the-middle-east\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/ike.jpg.jpg","datePublished":"2021-02-26T20:08:18+00:00","dateModified":"2026-08-08T07:42:46+00:00","description":"Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin visited the carrier Nimitz as they finished another record-breaking deployment.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/naval\/2021\/02\/26\/austin-mulling-whether-to-send-carrier-ike-back-to-the-middle-east\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/naval\/2021\/02\/26\/austin-mulling-whether-to-send-carrier-ike-back-to-the-middle-east\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/naval\/2021\/02\/26\/austin-mulling-whether-to-send-carrier-ike-back-to-the-middle-east\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/ike.jpg.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/ike.jpg.jpg"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/naval\/2021\/02\/26\/austin-mulling-whether-to-send-carrier-ike-back-to-the-middle-east\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/","ad_zone":"home"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Naval","item":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/naval\/","ad_zone":"naval"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Austin mulling whether to send carrier Ike back to the Middle East"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/#website","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/","name":"Defense News","description":"Covering the politics, business and technology of defense | Defense News","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/#organization","name":"Defense News","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/defensenews-logo-white.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/defensenews-logo-white.png","caption":"Defense News"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/#\/schema\/person\/cc76c831bb37a926738c8391fca7a3b1","name":"migration","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=gcf4cb6ee0ec29e49e7a963234e4340ec","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"migration"},"url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/author\/migration\/"}]}},"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"Defense News","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews","push-errors":false,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/ike.jpg.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37378","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=37378"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37378\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":79206,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37378\/revisions\/79206"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48074"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=37378"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=37378"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=37378"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=37378"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}