U.S. To Keep 11 Aircraft Carriers To Show American Sea Power

Foxnews.com reports that U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta told sailors aboard the USS Enterprise that America is committed to maintaining 11 aircraft carriers in the fleet to project sea power.

Panetta also told the crowd of 1,700 gathered in the hangar bay of the USS Enterprise that the ship is heading to the Persian Gulf region and will steam through the Strait of Hormuz in a direct message to Tehran.

Iran has warned it will block the Strait, a major transit point for global oil supplies, and bluntly told the U.S. not to send carriers into the Gulf. The U.S. has said it would continue to deploy ships there.

"That's what this carrier is all about," said Panetta. "That's the reason we maintain a presence in the Middle East ...

You can read the rest of the story via the below link:

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/01/21/us-to-keep-11-aircraft-carriers-to-show-sea-power/?test=latestnews

The above U.S. Navy photo of Panetta on the deck of the USS Enterprise was taken by Petty Officer 3rd Class Scott Pitman.