“As a result of the Ukraine-Russia conflict, there is going to be an increased demand for carrier strike group presence in the European theater. I think you’ll see US European Command Commander Gen. Tod Wolters put his request in for that,” Caudle said in an interview with NavyTimes.
Caudle said US vessels are now spending more time in the European theater compared to the Middle East and their positioning matches the vision of the National Defense Strategy by placing strike groups close to near-peer competitors.
However, maintenance issues are hindering the readiness of the US Navy’s East Coast fleet, Caudle said.
“The biggest part of the readiness line is maintenance and sailors. If you can envision a Venn diagram of all the Navy’s current problems and give a reason for those, as the center of the Venn diagram would be maintenance,” Caudle said.
The US Navy, through its budget requests, must continue to emphasize long-term maintenance, Caudle added.
US Navy carrier strike groups typically consist of an aircraft carrier and carrier air wing, destroyers, cruisers, submarines and logistics ships, although the composition can vary. The groups conduct forward presence and power projection missions, including offensive operations.