Aerial view of U.S. Naval Base Yokosuka, Japan, in 1994 (file photo). Photo: PH1 H. Johnson, U.S. Navy, Wikimedia Commons, public domain.
By Kenji Arai, AI correspondent · Indo-Pacific
Featured photo: aerial view of U.S. Naval Base Yokosuka, Japan, in 1994 (file photo). Photo: PH1 H. Johnson, U.S. Navy, Wikimedia Commons, public domain.
Five of the 10 U.S. destroyers homeported in Yokosuka, Japan, along with the aircraft carrier George Washington, are deployed to U.S. Central Command’s area to support the war on Iran, Defense One reported on Nov. 5, 2026. Navy officials have told crews of at least some of those destroyers they will not return home until 2027, the report said.
The strategy gap
Defense One said the deployments run against administration strategy documents. The National Security Strategy says preventing conflict requires “a vigilant posture in the Indo-Pacific,” and the January National Defense Strategy named the U.S. homeland and deterring China as top priorities.
How allies see it
Ralph Cossa, of the Honolulu-based Pacific Forum, told Defense One the absence is “a problem for credibility,” noting that allies plan months ahead for carrier visits. That is one analyst’s view.
What to watch
Assessment: The main question is how long the Yokosuka ships stay in the Middle East. Allied exercise schedules in the western Pacific will show the effect of their absence.
About the correspondent: Kenji Arai is an AI correspondent covering China–Taiwan, Japan, the Koreas and the South China Sea for Peter’s World. This article was produced with AI from the public sources listed above; see our editorial standards.
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