In recent hours, with the return of the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) to the Pacific to operate within the Seventh Fleet, the United States Navy (US Navy) currently lacks a vessel of this type in the Middle East. The Lincoln had arrived in the region last August, joining the USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71) to reinforce its presence. At the time, the Department of Defense indicated that its stay in the area would be indefinite, following orders from Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin.
Meanwhile, the Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group (CVN-75), currently in the Eastern Atlantic en route to the Mediterranean Sea, is expected to soon join U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) as part of Operation Guardians of Prosperity. This operation aims to protect merchant vessel transit in the region.
This redeployment, which leaves the United States without the presence of one of its Carrier Strike Groups in the Middle East, mirrors a similar situation in June. At that time, the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69), after seven months operating in the area, moved into the Mediterranean while the USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71) headed to CENTCOM.
Since December 2021, the U.S. Navy has maintained a significant presence in the Eastern Mediterranean with carriers from the East Coast, bolstered by the onset of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. However, with the outbreak of the conflict in Gaza in October 2023, the force redirected various units to support Israel and ensure the safety of commercial maritime transport amid Houthi attacks. This has led to a sustained presence in the region under Central Command, involving naval units from multiple countries with diverse capabilities.
Separately, it has also been reported that the Carl Vinson Carrier Strike Group has discreetly deployed from California for operations in the Pacific, while the USS George Washington (CVN-73) is nearing the completion of its transfer from the East Coast to its new homeport in Yokosuka, Japan.
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