The US is extending the role of the USS Harry Truman aircraft carrier in the Middle East amid operations against the Iranian-backed Houthis. In addition, reports say that the USS Carl Vinson, a second carrier, may arrive in the region in the next several weeks. Both carriers are accompanied by numerous ships as part of their carrier strike groups.
This will bolster the US presence in the region, providing the Pentagon with more aircraft and firepower. Although this concentration of firepower is new, it is not unique. It’s worth understanding the naval background of US forces in the region over the last two years.
The US's naval background
The US has had two carriers in the region in the past. There is usually one to support US Central Command, and sometimes a second carrier transits the region as well. For instance, after the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, Washington kept the USS Gerald Ford and several ships in the eastern Mediterranean to deter Hezbollah or Iran from taking advantage of the situation.
The Ford stayed in the region until early January 2024, when it returned to the US. It was accompanied by the USS Mesa Verde and USS Carter Hall. Along with the USS Bataan, these vessels had included the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit and had been abroad for eight months.
The USS Dwight D. Eisenhower aircraft carrier was also in the region and supported operations designed to secure the Red Sea against Houthi attacks. The Eisenhower and its carrier strike group left Central Command’s area of responsibility in June 2024. It remained briefly in the US European Command AOR and then returned to the US, after having been deployed for seven months.
The Pentagon said at the time that the Eisenhower “protected ships transiting the Red Sea, Bab el-Mandeb, and the Gulf of Aden, rescued innocent mariners against the unlawful attacks from the Iranian-backed Houthis, and helped to deter further aggression.”
The USS Theodore Roosevelt then took up station in Central Command to support operations in the Red Sea and the region.
In August, the USS Abraham Lincoln arrived in the region. It came with F-35 aircraft and also F-A/18 Super Hornets. During this period, America intercepted a number of Iranian missiles on October 1, 2024. At the time, the US had three guided-missile destroyers in the eastern Mediterranean, which included the USS Bulkeley, USS Arleigh Burke, and USS Cole.
Four destroyers were also deployed as part of Operation Prosperity Guardian to protect the Red Sea: the USS Michael Murphy, USS Frank E. Petersen Jr., USS Spruance, and USS Stockdale (DDG-106). The USS Indianapolis was also in the region in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait in October 2024, USNI News reported at the time.
Washington also kept the Wasp Amphibious Ready Group of ships in the eastern Mediterranean in October, which included the USS Wasp, USS New York, and USS Oak Hill. It returned to the US in December 2024.
“While deployed, the Wasp ARG [Amphibious Ready Group] and 24th MEU (SOC) team supported a wide range of interoperability opportunities and exercises across the North Atlantic, Eastern Mediterranean, and Baltic region, increasing combat readiness and crisis response capabilities while strengthening relationships with both Allies and partners,” Seapower reported.
In mid-December, the Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group entered the US Central Command area of responsibility, US Naval Forces Central Command said on December 14, 2024.
“The carrier strike group consists of the flagship Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75); Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 1 with nine embarked aviation squadrons; staffs from Carrier Strike Group (CSG) 8, CVW-1, and Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 28; the Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Gettysburg (CG 64); and two Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers, USS Stout (DDG 55) and USS Jason Dunham (DDG 109),” the US statement said in December.
While the Truman has extended its stay in the region, it’s possible it could leave when the Vinson or another carrier group arrives. This would give the US two carrier strike groups in the region, or at least two carriers with their attendant destroyers and other ships. The Vinson was laid down in the 1970s and launched in 1980. The Truman was launched in 1996. Both are Nimitz-class carriers that can carry around 90 aircraft.
Deploying two carriers to the region will be a message to Iran. US President Donald Trump sent a letter to Tehran recently that offered talks. However, if the Islamic Republic doesn’t come to the table, it’s possible that other means will be needed to prevent Iran from enriching uranium or weaponizing its uranium stockpile.
At the same time, Israel is involved in operations in Gaza and the US is bombing the Houthis in Yemen. Carriers are necessary to continue some of these operations.
Currently, Washington has a large number of other options in the region, with aircraft at bases in the Gulf, for instance. In the past, these have included F-22, F-15Es, F-16s, and A-10s. The US also has MH-60S Sea Hawks of the Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 11. There is also currently the Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser the USS Gettysburg in the region.
In addition, there are AH-64 Apache helicopters, which operate in support of Operation Inherent Resolve, the anti-ISIS mission. Recently, the US has also sent elements of a Bomber Task Force Mission with B-52Hs to the region, flown from RAF Fairford in the UK.
The overall point is that there is no shortage of American firepower in the region, and more may be arriving.