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The Pentagon is sending a second aircraft carrier strike group to the eastern Mediterranean in order to deter hostile actions against Israel or efforts to widen its ongoing war against Hamas terrorists.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Saturday ordered the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower to join the USS Gerald R. Ford, which arrived off the coast of Israel earlier this week.Â
Along with its aircraft carrier, the Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group (CSG) includes the USS Philippine Sea, a guided-missile cruiser; guided-missile destroyers USS Gravely and USS Mason; and the nine aircraft squadrons from Carrier Air Wing 3, Pentagon officials said Saturday.
“The increases to U.S. force posture signal the United States’ ironclad commitment to Israel’s security and our resolve to deter any state or non-state actor seeking to escalate this war,” Mr. Austin said.
The Ford Carrier Strike Group includes the USS Normandy, a guided-missile cruiser, and five guided-missile destroyers, the USS Normandy, USS Thomas Hudner, U.S.S. Ramage, USS Carney and USS Roosevelt.
The U.S. Air Force earlier in the week announced the deployment to the region of squadrons of F-15, F-16, and A-10 fighter aircraft.
• Mike Glenn can be reached at mglenn@washingtontimes.com.
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