The critical change in the war with Iran: a "logistical nightmare" for the US military
Iran destroyed US military logistics bases in the region. The implication: the supply mission for forces has become an unprecedented challenge requiring non-stop activity. Images of the rusted aircraft carrier Lincoln have stunned the world.
Following the war, the supply capabilities of the US Navy in the Middle East have changed significantly. Supplies must now be brought from a distance of 3,500 to 6,000 km. Replenishment of ships in the open sea is carried out in less than a week, involving dangerous proximity in open waters. The aircraft carrier Lincoln docked for the first time in months, and the images caused a stir: the carrier is covered in rust from bow to stern. The war with Iran has turned the US Navy's supply system into a logistical nightmare.
About 20 warships, including two aircraft carriers, 12 destroyers, and three amphibious ships, are operating in the Middle East with about 20,000 sailors and marines on board. Overnight, the Wall Street Journal reported that US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth ordered the extension of the operational deployment of the US military in the region until 2027. In an extensive article, the New York Times reveals the difficult logistical implications of managing this massive force against the backdrop of the war with Iran and the major changes that have occurred in the region over the last six months.
The consumption scale is enormous: the Navy needs food for more than 420,000 meals and about 30 million liters of fuel every week. One aircraft carrier alone houses about 5,000 crew members, and while it is nuclear-powered, the planes and helicopters on board consume about 7.5 million liters of fuel per week. However, the war disrupted the supply system the Navy had relied on for decades. On February 28, the first day of the war, Iran destroyed a major logistics base of the Navy in Bahrain. Other ports in the region capable of accommodating aircraft carriers and supply ships are within range of Iranian missiles and UAVs, and therefore are unavailable.
Now, supply ships are forced to sail about 3,500 km to the island of Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean to deliver food, fuel, and equipment to ships in the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea. Another option is a voyage of almost 6,000 km to Singapore, through the Strait of Malacca. The great difficulty is not limited to the long voyages; the supply to the ships themselves must be carried out in the open sea every five or six days. This is a dangerous and complex process. The supply ship and the receiving ship must sail together for hours in the same direction and at the same speed, maintaining a distance of nearly 50 meters. Sailors fire ropes from the carrier or destroyer toward the supply ship, connecting them with steel cables to transfer fuel hoses and pallets of equipment, while helicopters transfer goods in nets beneath them.
This change is a tectonic shift in the conduct of the US military in the Middle East. According to reports, the Pentagon has already begun to discuss the possibility of reducing the military presence in the region after the war and re-examining the management of bases.
The Rusted Aircraft Carrier
Images of the aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln upon its arrival in Thailand caused astonishment. The 1,100-foot-long carrier arrived at Laem Chabang port covered in rust from bow to stern after 286 consecutive days at sea. This contrasts with the normal routine of an American aircraft carrier, which is expected to enter a port about once a month to allow the crew a short rest.
Carl Schuster, a former captain in the US Navy, told CNN that rust along the waterline is not unusual for a ship that has been at sea for 60 days or more consecutively. Thorough rust treatment is not possible at sea, especially during combat operations. The work requires lowering crew members to the waterline, removing the rust, and applying several layers of anti-corrosion material and paint. Schuster estimates that it would take about 30 working days to remove all the rust from the Lincoln. During the stop in Thailand, only high-priority work will be carried out. The rust is not just a cosmetic issue; it spreads and weakens the steel structure, so it must be treated before it causes real damage to decks and systems. The long deployment of the Lincoln has also been linked to reports of problems with the mental state of the crew and a shortage of supplies.
