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The United States' overwhelming and iconic military power, symbolized by aircraft carriers, is now facing a crisis. The Iran War has brought about issues such as equipment malfunctions, long-term supply shortages, and isolation problems for deployed aircraft carriers. The ongoing deployment of aircraft carriers has led to mental health risks for crew members and supply disruptions, adding to various malfunctions they face while operating at sea for extended periods.

One sailor's wife even revealed that he tried to plunge into the ocean due to the continuous deployment extension. The Nimitz-class USS Enterprise has been stationed at sea for over 250 days, holding the record for the longest unbroken sea voyage in modern US naval history.

Despite being scheduled for return to the US mainland in May, the Nimitz could not find an alternate aircraft carrier. In the meantime, the USS George H.W. Bush has been deployed to the Persian Gulf, supporting the Nimitz in the Arabian Sea. This situation has arisen due to Iran attacking various US military bases in the region, making it difficult for the aircraft carriers to find suitable landing spots.

Consequently, the Nimitz and other aircraft carriers have been battling fatigue, supply shortages, and equipment failures while on long-duration missions at sea. As a result, the US Department of Defense has decided to deploy the USS George Washington as a replacement.

However, this leaves the US with only three aircraft carriers currently engaged in operations in the Middle East. The USS Quisenberry, USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, and USS John F. Kennedy are the only ones actively deployed. Meanwhile, the USS Gerald R. Ford is undergoing repairs, USS John C. Stennis and USS Ronald Reagan are undergoing long-term maintenance and decommissioning processes, and USS Kalvinson is conducting training exercises at sea.

The number of large warships requiring maintenance is increasing, and the US has only two shipyards for large carrier maintenance, leading to a bottleneck in the maintenance process and a decreasing number of carriers available for deployment.

The high cost of drones and missiles from Iran has made the presence of aircraft carriers less effective and risky. A study by the Quincy Institute's Michael Swaine warned that future wars may question the necessity of aircraft carriers, as advanced unmanned systems like drones and missiles can now easily target aircraft carriers.

Additionally, smaller submarines and torpedoes can effectively target aircraft carriers, posing an even greater threat. The US Navy has also expressed a desire to reduce its dependence on aircraft carriers, advocating for the use of smaller, advanced submarines and other forces instead, as stated by Admiral Scott Harjo, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.