Over-extended and under-funded in recent years, the Navy won’t have an aircraft carrier on station in the Persian Gulf region for two months this winter.
The USS Theodore Roosevelt is scheduled to leave the area for San Diego in October, but will not be replaced by the USS Harry Truman until December.
A Navy official told CNN that the two-month gap is necessary for maintenance after years of extended deployments and because of reduced spending due to mandatory budget cuts.
Air Force planes would substitute for the jets from the Roosevelt that have been conducting airstrikes on Islamic terrorists in Iraq and Syria.
The Navy currently has 10 aircraft carriers on active duty.
