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U.S. Central Command announced the arrival of a third aircraft carrier in its area of responsibility.
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The command, which oversees U.S. forces in the Middle East, said the Bush is in the Indian Ocean.
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The other two aircraft carriers are the USS Ford in the Red Sea and the USS Abraham Lincoln in the Arabian Sea.
The U.S. military command that oversees U.S. forces in the Middle East has just taken delivery of a third aircraft carrier, increasing its available firepower.
The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush is currently located in the Indian Ocean and falls under the area of responsibility of U.S. Central Command. The other two carriers in the area are the USS Gerald, the first of a new class of aircraft carriers. R. Ford and the USS Abraham Lincoln.
The new carrier’s arrival in the region comes as negotiations between Iran and the United States struggle and challenges remain in the Strait of Hormuz, a key oil artery.
Central Command, which oversees U.S. forces in the Middle East, announced Bush’s arrival in the Indian Ocean on Thursday. The carrier set off from Virginia in late March and sailed around the coast of Africa. Meanwhile, the first-class Ford returned to the Red Sea after completing repairs in Croatia, continuing its record-breaking deployment following a severe fire.
The Abraham Lincoln is in the Arabian Sea supporting the U.S. blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. The blockade is enforced by more than 10,000 U.S. troops, more than 100 fighter jets, rotorcraft, surveillance aircraft and more than 17 warships, including guided missile destroyers.
So far, the United States has adjusted more than 30 ships to turn around or return to port. Most of these ships are oil tankers. The United States has also intercepted non-compliant Iranian-flagged vessels. On Sunday, the Navy destroyer USS Spruance turned its deck guns on the M/V Touska, disabling it by firing several rounds into the cargo ship’s engine room.
The Lincoln and Ford participated in Operation Absolute Resolve in Venezuela, and in the early weeks of the U.S. war against Iran, they were both within the Central Command area of responsibility, flying aircraft and supporting U.S. strikes against Iranian targets, including command and control, missile and unmanned aerial systems, and defense industrial infrastructure.
U.S. Navy aircraft carriers bring the combat power of their carrier air wings to any battle. They are capable of launching dozens of attack aircraft carrying precision-guided munitions, which are supported by electronic warfare jets, early warning aircraft and, in many cases, the missiles and defense systems of the carrier strike group.
Ahead of Operation Epic Fury, the U.S. military began moving warships and aircraft into and around the Middle East, the largest buildup of U.S. forces in the region since 2003, in an effort to put pressure on Iran’s leadership.
It is unclear whether the United States will resume combat operations against Iran. Negotiations broke down this week, with Iran again attacking commercial ships and the United States continuing to block Iranian ports, throwing the fragile ceasefire into question. Tehran says the blockade is an obstacle to further negotiations.
In addition to the blockade, the US military is also conducting mine clearance operations in the Strait of Hormuz. On Thursday, U.S. President Donald Trump said he had ordered U.S. forces to “shoot and shoot” any Iranian ship that mines the strait.
Trump also said there was “no time pressure” for negotiations with Iran and “no time frame” for ending the war.
Read the original article on Business Insider
