{"id":51689,"date":"2021-02-26T01:32:46","date_gmt":"2021-02-26T01:32:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/uncategorized\/2021\/02\/26\/austin-visits-aircraft-carrier-nimitz-weighs-warship-needs-in-pacific-mideast\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T08:15:42","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T08:15:42","slug":"austin-visits-aircraft-carrier-nimitz-weighs-warship-needs-in-pacific-mideast","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/news\/your-navy\/2021\/02\/26\/austin-visits-aircraft-carrier-nimitz-weighs-warship-needs-in-pacific-mideast\/","title":{"rendered":"Austin visits aircraft carrier Nimitz; weighs warship needs in Pacific, Mideast"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

ABOARD THE USS NIMITZ \u2014 Defense Secretary Lloyd 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 demand for American warships around the globe as he wrestles with security threats from China in the Pacific and Iran in the Middle East.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Standing in the ship\u2019s hangar bay, Austin said he will make a decision soon on whether to send a carrier back to the Middle East<\/a>, where the Nimitz had been. But he said there have been times when the U.S. has opted not to have a carrier strike group in that region.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere\u2019s going to be gaps,\u201d he said. \u201cAs we do that, we do things to make sure we have resources in the right place so we can respond.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\t