The USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71) and its strike group are en route to the Middle East after departing San Diego last Sunday, according to The Zioneer. The carrier is expected to arrive around December, joining two other carriers already operating under CENTCOM — the George Washington and George H.W. Bush. This would be the fifth carrier strike group deployed in 7 months of the U.S. campaign against Iran; it is unclear if it will replace a group or bring the total to three.
The USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71), a Nimitz-class aircraft carrier, left San Diego last Sunday as the flagship of Carrier Strike Group 9 and is heading to the Middle East, according to The Zioneer. The vessel is transporting new munitions and troops to the theater, with an expected arrival around December, after the U.S. midterm elections.
This deployment follows weeks of reported U.S. buildup. As The Zioneer reported Thursday, over 2,000 Marines from the USS Makin Island amphibious group are also en route, and the Pentagon plans a three-carrier force by November. The Roosevelt would be the fifth carrier strike group deployed during 7 months of the U.S. campaign against Iran. Two carriers — the USS George Washington and USS George H.W. Bush — are currently operating under CENTCOM, having replaced the USS Abraham Lincoln and USS Gerald Ford.
The addition of a third carrier would provide CENTCOM with expanded offensive and defensive capabilities, including sustained air operations and enhanced maritime security in the Strait of Hormuz. The exact role of the Roosevelt — whether as a replacement for an existing group or as an augmentation — remains unconfirmed.
2 developments
- DevelopingUS aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt heading to Middle East, reports say
- DevelopingUS Navy Announces Another Aircraft Carrier En Route to Middle East
- StrongTrump reportedly preparing to 'decide the Iranian regime' after US midterms, as three-carrier force heads to Gulf
- StrongWSJ: US sends Marine amphibious group, additional 9,000 troops to Middle East after Iran talks
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