The world’s largest aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) steams in formation with the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) during a photo exercise, Nov. 3, 2023. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Malachi Lakey)
On November 3, the United States Navy announced that the ships and aircraft of two aircraft carrier strike groups (CSG) recently deployed in the eastern Mediterranean Sea had conducted joint exercises.
In a statement, the navy said that the USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group (CSG 12) and those of the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group (CSG 2) drilled for three days along with USS Mount Whitney, the Sixth Fleet Command and Control ship, and the Italian Navy frigates ITS Virginio Fasan and ITS Carlo Margottini .
“Operating and training alongside each other demonstrates the U.S. Navy’s ability to seamlessly accomplish multiple missions, deter aggression and support our allies and partners,” said Rear Admiral Erik Eslich, Commander of CSG 12.
More than 11,000 U.S Sailors and naval aviators participated in the three-day joint exercises the eastern Mediterranean Sea, according to the Navy.
“The seamless integration of naval and air commands between us and our partners helps build a theater-wide common tactical picture to make us a more ready and postured force,” said Rear Admiral Marc Miguez, Commander of CSG 2. “Our focus on teamwork and dual-carrier operations provide us the ability to train like we fight.”
The Navy said that Italian ships Fasan and Margottini joined the two carrier strike groups to exercise NATO alliance integration.
“Operating dual carrier strike groups alongside Allies and Partners in a dynamic environment demonstrates our capability and capacity to respond with agility decisively to any contingency,” said Vice Admiral Thomas Ishee, commander of the U.S. Sixth Fleet. “Our presence sends a clear signal about our commitment to deter aggression and promote stability throughout the region.”
The CSG 12 is composed of the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford, Carrier Air Wing-8, Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 2, the Information Warfare Commander and the Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Normandy.
The ships of DESRON-2 are the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers USS Ramage, USS Bulkeley and USS Paul Ignatius.
Ships from the Gerald R. Ford and Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Groups (CSG), U.S. Sixth Fleet command ship USS Mount Whitney (LCC 20), and Italian Navy frigates Carlo Margottini (F 592) and Virginio Fasan (F 591) sail in formation in the Mediterranean Sea, Nov. 3, 2023. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Janae Chambers)
Meanwhile, the CSG 2 is composed of the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, the guided-missile cruiser USS Philippine Sea, the guided-missile destroyers USS Mason and USS Gravely of DESRON-22 and Carrier Air Wing-3 with its nine squadrons.
Ships from the Gerald R. Ford and Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Groups (CSG), U.S. Sixth Fleet command ship USS Mount Whitney (LCC 20), and Italian Navy frigates Carlo Margottini (F 592) and Virginio Fasan (F 591) sail in formation in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea, Nov. 3, 2023. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Maxwell Orlosky)
Shortly after the October 7 Hamas-led surprise attack from the Gaza Strip against Israel, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin extended CSG 12 deployment and shifted the strike group to the Eastern Mediterranean. He later ordered the deployment of CSG 2 in the same area.
In addition, two ships Bataan Amphibious Ready Group, USS Bataan and USS Carter Hall, with the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit are also deployed in the northern Red Sea along with at least three guided-missile destroyers.
The U.S. military has been providing military aid, including bombs and artillery rounds, to Israel and has a dozen air defense systems and hundreds of troops to the Middle East since the outbreak of the war in Gaza.
Moreover, several dozen American commandos were dispatched to Israel, allegedly to help advise on hostage recovery efforts. U.S. combat drones are also operating over Gaza, allegedly to locate hostages.
The U.S. unconditional support for Israel caused a serious backlash in the Middle East. More than two dozen rocket and drone attacks also targeted bases hosting American troops in Iraq and Syria in recent weeks. More escalation in the region is to be expected.
“….more than 11,000 u.s sailors and naval aviators……” will they still fight half way around the world when their pay in dollars is worthless?
the dollar has always been worthless. the army itself is what gives it value. nobody would use printed paper money unless they had a gunbarrel pointed at them.
the death blow will be economic and financial…most of the world now votes with their money and thoughts not the lunatic asylum pretending to be government
us military power on the sea and in the air is still unmatched…
try fentanyl—sniffig glue makes u delusional
stopp believing russian propaganda on sf 🫵🤡 😆😆😆
hillbilly sawyer lick taliban dick …🇷🇺🇷🇺🇷🇺🇷🇺🇷🇺
true. that is why the team zelensky jew boys was f.ed from the beginning; nato refused a no fly zone. team zelensky jew boys were expected to fight a land war russia on its border. doomed!
uh, no, incorrect. the us military is a joke. nato is a joke. russia exposed the joke. now no one is afraid of the big bad paper wolfe any more.
america does have a lot of jets though. they could lose 100 jets a day for a month and not really feel too much of a sting after. what the us does lack is missiles, and without missiles those jets serve no purpose.
if you leave politics out of it and just concentrate on the technology and the military side, it’s like you said. but these aircraft carrier fleets also have weak points. they cost so much that losing them is a catastrophe. it feels like all us power depends on these carrier battle groups. if a country finds a way to destroy them, the us would become powerless.
3 great powers today—russia china india—–taliban rank 151 usa 152
nice pictures, wonder what they will look like “bows up, sterns down”?
“october 20, 2023 | israel evacuates northern communities as danger of hezbollah escalation grows”. search it, links not allowed here. hezbollah low level steady pressure is making life unbearable in israel. people are leaving israel. who wants to live in a country where every night you are woken up by missiles and sirens? when israel is empty, usa’s project israel is over.
big ships makes large targets…
the two carrier groups have more firepower than all middle eastern countries combined – no wonder that nasrallah the rat and iran are shitting their pants 😆😆😆
2- 3 well placed hypersonic missiles on an aircraft carriers deck and that shit is sinking to bottom of the ocean, relics of ww2 era sitting ducks in today’s modern battlefield.
sure. 🫵🤡 😆😆😆
actually aircraft carriers are hard to sink even in controlled demolition as they are so big and have som any separate compartments. a hypersonic should put the flight deck out of action, which is a big deal as it has to sail back to port for repair, but it will not sink.
you are so full of shit.
don’t believe a word! this is clearly the hitherto top secret ‘uss busby berkeley’ carrier strike group performing their latest (hush-hush) hollywood spectacular choreographed routine. support ships include the guided tap-dancer ‘uss ginger rogers’, auxillary schmaltz vessel ‘uss joan blondell’ and special lipstick destroyer ‘uss bebe daniels’ according to my ever reliable source of red hot showbiz military info.(more insider gossip when i have it)
my burger make me happy
tubs are massive target’s, that includes aircraft and sailers, all called sitting ducks.
3m22 zircon…