In response to tensions in the Middle East, United States Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III mobilized additional forces to the Mediterranean.
Pentagon chief Lloyd J. Austin III has instructed the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group (CSG) to sail toward the eastern Mediterranean. This maneuver is part of the US strategy to counter possible threats against Israel in the context of recent Hamas attacks.
The set of deployed forces includes the cruiser USS Philippine Sea (CG 58) and the destroyers USS Gravely (DDG 107) and USS Mason (DDG 87), in addition to the Embarked Air Wing 3, which has nine fighter aircraft squadrons and one command team on board.
CSG Eisenhower’s fleet will join the USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group, which was already positioned in the region earlier this week. CSG Ford’s assets include USS Normandy, USS Thomas Hudner, USS Ramage, USS Carney, and USS Roosevelt. In parallel, it has been confirmed that the US Air Force has deployed F-15, F-16 and A-10 fighter jets in the area. This military buildup underscores the United States ‘ unwavering support for Israel’s security and its resolve to prevent any escalation of the current conflict.
In a historical review, Carrier Strike Group 2 (CSG-2), to which the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower belongs, traces its origins to 1931. Being a key component of the US Navy, the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower serves as the flagship. Forces attached to CSG-2 encompass nine squadrons of Carrier Air Wing Three, the cruiser USS Philippine Sea (CG-58), as well as USS Monterey (CG-61), USS Vella Gulf (CG-72), and destroyers such as the USS Mitscher (DDG-57), USS Laboon (DDG 58), USS Mahan (DDG-72), and USS Thomas Hudner (DDG-116), all under the command of Destroyer Squadron 22.
Regarding the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69), it is notable for being a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, actively serving in the US Navy since its commission in 1977. This naval colossus, one of ten in the Nimitz class, is honored to be named after the 34th president, Dwight D. Eisenhower. It is anticipated to be replaced around 2029 by the modern USS Enterprise (CVN-80), belonging to the new generation of Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carriers, whose construction was advancing significantly during the fall of 2018.
