Within hours of the horrific Oct. 7 attack by Hamas, the U.S. began moving warships and aircraft to the region to be ready to provide Israel with whatever it needed to respond.
On Tuesday, more ships and forces were heading toward Israel, and other troops in the U.S. were preparing to deploy if called on.
One U.S. aircraft carrier and its strike group are already in the eastern Mediterranean and a second one has left the U.S. and is heading that way. In addition, three Marine warships are moving into the region. Scores of aircraft were dispatched to U.S. military bases around the Middle East, and American special operations forces are working with Israel’s military in planning and intelligence.
As of Tuesday, five shipments of U.S. weapons and equipment had arrived in Israel.The buildup reflects growing U.S. concern that the deadly fighting between Hamas and Israel will escalate into wider regional conflict. So the key mission for American ships and warplanes is to establish a large and visible presence that will deter Hezbollah, Iran or others from taking advantage of the situation.
A look at what weapons and assistance the U.S. military is providing:
NAVY SHIPS AND PLANES
One of the most visible examples of the U.S. response is in the waters surrounding Israel — an array of massive warships are in or moving toward the eastern Mediterranean and the Red Sea.
The USS Gerald R. Ford carrier strike group was ordered to go to the Eastern Mediterranean within hours after the attack, and on Tuesday the Pentagon said the ship’s six-month deployment in the region has been extended and gave no end date. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin in recent days ordered the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower carrier strike group to join the Ford in the Eastern Mediterranean, and thOn Tuesday, the Pentagon said it was sending the USS Bataan amphibious ready group, which consists of three ships carrying thousands of Marines from the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit, into the region. A U.S. official said the USS Mesa Verde, an amphibious transport dock, is in the Mediterranean Sea, and the Bataan, an amphibious assault ship, and the USS Carter Hall, a dock landing ship, were in the Gulf region and are now heading toward the Red Sea. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to provide details on ship locations.
The ships carry helicopters and assault craft that can insert Marines into hostile territory or provide medical care or other assistance.
The warships, particularly the aircraft carriers with their fighter jets and surveillance aircraft, have historically proven to be an effective deterrent against Iranian and other militant activity in the Middle East. The carriers serve as command-and-control centers and can conduct information warfare. They carry F-18 fighter jets that can fly deterrence missions or strike targets. And they also have E-2 Hawkeye surveillance planes that can provide early warning on missile launches and detect enemy movements.
Source: The News Matric
