A lot of that mission will fall on the Navy, stated a Navy official. The condition of anonymity is because of the Pentagon's plans. This is a good example of why more money is needed to move forward. Things like these are what we were designed to do. But we still need the support and funding to continue doing them, which hasn't always been available.
The Biden administration is concerned about the reemergence ISIS-K or an emboldened al Qaeda. It has promised to continue to launch drone and manned airstrikes over the horizon. It has not yet provided details on a plan to how these aircraft will gather intelligence on targets or conduct sustained missions at such great distances.
Air Force pilots who fly from Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar, or Al Dhafra, the United Arab Emirates, have been hitting targets in Afghanistan for many years. However, they must first travel through the Gulf around Iran and back through Pakistan. They then have to refuel at least once, often spending hours in the air before touching down on a target.
Bryan Clark, a former Navy officer, stated that land-based fighters based in Qatar and Kuwait might not be able to perform close-air support missions for special operation forces. This could result in the use of longer-loitering drones and Navy aircraft flying from the North Arabian Sea, Clark said.
The North Arabian Sea allows pilots to park a car and fly over Pakistan before they enter Afghanistan's airspace.
However, these deployments can cause wear and tear to crews and ships and require the removal of assets from the Pacific where Washington's true strategic interests lie, according to the Biden administration.
This tension is now on full display. Japan's aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan flew F/A-18 Hornets above Kabul last month during the evacuation operation. It is currently in the North Arabian Sea with the USS Iwo Jima which launched the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit into Kabul simultaneously.
The U.S. has had an aircraft carrier stationed in Japan for decades to project its power in the Pacific. China hawks were furious at the call to send Reagan to the Middle East this spring, as the aircraft carrier was not fully operational in the Pacific region for the entire summer.
Reagan's absence was felt most strongly in June when a large Russian naval taskforce, the largest since the end of Cold War, reportedly edged uncomfortably near Hawaii. This led the U.S., from Pearl Harbor, to scramble F-22s to intercept the bombers that were accompanying the flotilla.
The Reagan was at the Indian Ocean, heading for Afghanistan, while the USS Carl Vinson was still in predeployment drills, near Hawaii, where it was practicing the launch of F-35s.
After back-to-back deployments that had kept the ship at sea for more than 300 days, the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower took over the Middle East mission. The Reagan allowed the ship to return home to Virginia.
They were supposed to stay in the Mediterranean and North Atlantic but ended up spending most their deployment in Middle East. Vice Adm. Andrew Lewis, 2nd Fleet commander, told reporters that Eisenhower made it home in July.
Bryan Clark stated that the Navy must get rid of the burden of its Middle East deployments. Reagan will likely stay there until he is relieved, as the U.S. has been mounting counterterrorism operations against Afghanistan. [Drones] may not be able to work in all circumstances.
However, it will not be just manned aircraft that are used to carry out any continuing surveillance or strike missions as required by the Biden administration. The drones will play an important role. However, the Indo-Pacific Command could pull in the few advanced, long-loitering planes that are available at any one time.
Bryan McGrath, a former destroyer commander and managing director at FerryBridge Group, stated that most of the Afghan airpower will be unmanned. He also said that the increased demand for these assets would cause a surge in prices. This increased demand will not make it easier to perform the intelligence and surveillance tasks required for tracking the Chinese navy.
No matter what the ongoing air war in Afghanistan may look like, it will likely trigger a series of budgetary requests from the Navy and Air Force.
Brent Sadler, a former Navy officer and Heritage Foundation member, stated that the Air Force will say they are tied down and don't have enough tanks to refuel long-range missions. Give it to the Navy, let's build more fighters.
The Navy, on the other hand, will say that they will do it but you have to buy more aircraft carriers.
There are only so many carriers, and extended deployments have resulted in longer maintenance periods that have affected carrier deployments around the world.
Becca Wasser, Center for a New American Security, stated that the U.S. Central Command will not be able to prevent the request for a carrier in the area for over-the horizon capabilities.
Over the decades, commanders in the Pentagon's geographical commands have requested and received aircraft carriers to protect their coastlines. The Navy and DoD leadership have never refused. The focus of the Biden administration on fighting ISIS-K fighters in Afghanistan and al Qaeda is unlikely to change in Central Command.
However, the Navy is receiving some assistance. HMS Queen Elizabeth, a new British carrier, is currently on her maiden cruise across the Pacific. She is accompanied by F-35s piloted by Marine and British pilots. Navy F-35 pilots will begin flying from a Japanese helicopter carrier this fall. In 2022, the new aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford, which is worth $13 billion, will be deployed for the first time.
More platforms will result in more missions and more requests. These requests will be granted the green light if the past is anything to go by.
