New Navy Carrier Deployed to the Middle East

The USS Carl Vinson Carrier Strike Group is being deployed by the U.S. military to the Middle East, as hostilities with Houthi forces in Yemen resume after a two-month hiatus.

As reported by the Associated Press, the USS Carl Vinson will conclude its mission in East Asia within the 7th Fleet’s area and navigate toward Yemeni waters. This move will enhance American military presence in the region, as this carrier group will join the USS Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group in efforts against the Houthis in Yemen. Notably, the Truman’s deployment has been extended for an additional month.

The simultaneous deployment of two carrier groups comes amidst a resurgence of fighting between U.S. forces and the Houthis, who dominate much of Yemen, including the capital. Since October 2023, Houthis have been firing rockets and drones at commercial vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, reacting to the ongoing conflict in Gaza. In response, U.S. Navy and Air Force units have intercepted these attacks and conducted bombing operations against Houthi positions. After a ceasefire in January, hostilities ceased until recently when the Truman Carrier Strike Group responded with strikes on Yemen following Houthi threats to escalate their actions in the Red Sea.

The USS Carl Vinson and its accompanying ships are expected to take two to three weeks to reach the Middle East.

The last instance of two carrier strike groups operating within CENTCOM’s area happened in September. In August, then-Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin ordered the USS Abraham Lincoln and its accompanying vessels to hasten to the region to support the USS Theodore Roosevelt Strike Group as a deterrent against Iranian attacks on Israel, following Israel’s operations in Lebanon and Iran. This increased naval presence was part of a broader strategy to strengthen American military deterrence in the region. The Roosevelt Strike Group departed in September.

The Vinson Strike Group comprises its namesake carrier, a Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser, and two Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers, alongside the aircraft of Carrier Air Wing 2.

Recently, the Vinson has conducted exercises and drills around the Korean Peninsula, engaging with the Republic of Korea Navy and Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force in light of North Korea’s missile tests. Meanwhile, the Truman Carrier Strike Group has been operating in the 5th Fleet’s area since December, participating actively in operations against the Houthis and briefly departing for repairs in Greece following a collision with a merchant vessel. It has now returned to the Red Sea, where its deployment was initially set to conclude by the end of this month.