The US command responsible for Middle East operations has asked the Pentagon to add a second aircraft carrier to the Gulf region as a warning to Syria and Iran.
The command wants the carrier strike group and its warplanes by the end of March for "deterrence" and to increase "flexibility," including for potential noncombat operations, said an official.
No final decision on the matter has been made by the Joint Chiefs of Staff or the Defence Department, which must approve it, the official added.
The request from Central Command chief General John Abizaid is now under review by the joint staff and Navy.
CBS News reported that a projected naval buildup was intended to discourage what US officials view as increasingly provocative acts by Tehran as it presses its nuclear programme and support for Shia militias in Iraq.