US sends aircraft carrier to Pacific to support Middle East

Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group in the Red Sea

"The Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group left the Central Command (CENTCOM) area of responsibility on June 22 and will temporarily transit to the European Command (EUCOM) area of responsibility for a short period before returning to its home port after more than seven months of deployment in support of US deterrence and defense efforts in the Middle East," USNI News quoted a statement from Pentagon spokesman Major General Pat Ryder.

"Next week, the Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Strike Group will depart the Indo- Pacific for the CENTCOM area of responsibility. The United States will continue to maintain a strong presence in the Indo- Pacific to strengthen peace, stability, and maintain deterrence alongside allies and partners," according to a Pentagon spokesman.

Major General Ryder also confirmed that the Theodore Roosevelt aircraft carrier strike group will leave the Pacific after completing planned joint exercises with South Korea and Japan.

Today (June 23), Reuters quoted US Navy officials confirming that the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt arrived at the port of Busan, South Korea on June 22.

The trilateral exercise, called "Freedom Blade," involves the navies of South Korea, the United States and Japan and includes anti-submarine warfare and air defense, according to Rear Admiral Christopher Alexander, commander of Carrier Strike Group 9 (CSG 9).

CSG 9 includes the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt, Carrier Air Wing 11, the Ticonderoga-class coast guard cutter USS Bunker Hill, Destroyer Squadron 23, and the Arleigh Burke-class destroyers USS Russell and USS John Finn.

The decision to rotate the aircraft carrier came after US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin decided not to extend the mission of the Eisenhower strike group for a third consecutive time.

It is not yet clear how long the Roosevelt strike group will need to be in the Middle East before another carrier group replaces it.

The next aircraft carrier preparing to leave the East Coast is the USS Harry S. Truman, according to USNI News.

The last time a Pacific carrier strike group was deployed to the Middle East was in 2021, when the US evacuated units from Afghanistan.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/my-dua-tau-san-bay-o-thai-binh-duong-chi-vien-trung-dong-185240623121558862.htm