US deploys two aircraft carriers, multiple warships to Middle East

The United States has deployed a significant naval presence to the Middle East, including two aircraft carrier strike groups and multiple guided-missile destroyers, according to the US Navy.At the centre of the deployment is the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, which can carry more than 65 aircraft and has a crew of about 5,700. The 333-metre-long vessel is accompanied by guided-missile destroyers including USS Michael Murphy, USS Spruance and USS Frank E. Petersen Jr.

Also positioned in or heading toward the broader region is the USS Gerald R. Ford, another nuclear-powered carrier operating in the Atlantic Ocean. The 337-metre warship can carry over 75 aircraft and has a crew of around 4,550. Its escort ships include USS Bainbridge, USS Mahan and USS Winston S. Churchill.
Additional guided-missile destroyers deployed include USS Delbert D. Black, USS Mitscher, USS McFaul, USS Pinckney, USS Bulkeley and USS Roosevelt. The US has also assigned littoral combat ships USS Canberra, USS Santa Barbara and USS Tulsa, which are designed to operate closer to shore.Aircraft attached to the carrier strike groups include F-35C Lightning II and F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter jets, EA-18G Growler electronic warfare aircraft, E-2D Hawkeye early warning planes and MH-60 Seahawk helicopters for anti-submarine and anti-ship missions.

The deployment underscores Washington’s efforts to maintain a strong maritime posture in the region amid heightened geopolitical tensions.