The Navy says the USS Abraham Lincoln and the guided missile cruiser USS Cape St. George arrived in the region over the weekend. The Lincoln brings an airwing that can send an additional 60 aircraft into the war — adding to aircraft already there and flying from the carrier the USS Harry S. Truman.
A statement from the 5th Fleet in Bahrain says Defense Secretary Robert Gates approved the sending of the second carrier to help coalition forces in Afghanistan and support maritime security operations.
I honestly didn't get the impression that we were short of air support for operations there, given our restrictions on firepower and the use of precision munitions.
But perhaps we worry over the fate of the Manas airbase in Kyrgyzstan which provides both combat aircraft and aerial refueling services would impact our ability to provide air support--although carrier planes would need refueling to operate over Afghanistan. And carriers have rather limited aerial refueling assets.
Of course, with Iran mucking about in Lebanon and the region, stirring up trouble in the Gulf, Iraq, and Afghanistan, having two carriers in range of Iran is important, too, I think. You never know.
