For The First Time Since The End Of The Second World War There Will Be No U.S. Aircraft Carriers In East Asian Waters (For About 4 Months)

The aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan travels through the Pacific Ocean with other ships assigned to the Rim of the Pacific 2010 exercise, north of Hawaii, July 24, 2010. U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Dylan McCord

East Asian Waters To Be US Aircraft Carrier-Free For A Time -- Nikkei Asian Review

TOKYO -- Defense policymakers in Japan and the U.S. are privately voicing concern about the total absence of U.S. aircraft carriers from East Asian waters for four months next year.

Budget constraints at home, combined with the rise of the Islamic State group in the Middle East, are limiting the American fleet's ability to operate in Asia. Temporarily at least, not a single aircraft carrier will be deployed in East Asia.

Japanese and U.S. officials fear having no U.S. carriers, which have long been the bedrock of the region's stability, could tempt North Korea and China to take advantage of the power vacuum to initiate a military adventure.

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My Comment: The wrong message to send to countries like North Korea, China, etc.. But here is an easy prediction .... this four-month absence of U.S. aircraft carriers will probably prompt Japan to start developing its own fleet of aircraft carriers .... and fast.