Pentagon to cut aircraft carrier presence in Persian Gulf to 1 due to budget strains

The U.S. military is planning to shrink its aircraft carrier presence in the Persian Gulf from two to one due to looming budget constraints -- in a dramatic signal from the Pentagon about the real-world impact of automatic budget cuts that still have not been averted. 
U.S. military officials confirmed Wednesday that the Navy would reduce its presence. The decision will go into effect immediately. 
"Facing budget uncertainty ... the U.S. Navy made this request to (Defense Secretary Leon Panetta) and he approved," Pentagon spokesman George Little said in a statement. "This prudent decision enables the U.S. Navy to maintain these ships to deploy on short notice in the event they are needed to respond to national security contingencies." 

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