US Navy faces aircraft carrier maintenance crisis

The United States may face a crisis regarding the maintenance of its aircraft carriers due to limited shipyard capacity. Brian Clark, an analyst at the Hudson Institute, warned that while the U.S. Navy operates 11 aircraft carriers, there are only two shipyards capable of performing the necessary repairs.

Clark noted that while the Navy typically deploys two or three carriers at a time, a fourth may soon be required. However, the lack of facilities means ships will likely face long queues for maintenance, potentially reducing the overall presence of carriers at deployment sites. He suggested that the current situation is a buildup of maintenance debt that must be addressed in the coming years.

In a related development, reports indicated that the USS Gerald Ford may require up to a year for repairs following damage sustained during operations involving Iran.