The USS Gerald R. Ford Aircraft Strike Group, which moved to the Eastern Mediterranean following the Oct. 7 invasion of Israel by Hamas-led terrorists, will return to its home base in Norfolk, Virginia, U.S. military officials announced. Monday.
The strike group included the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R.
U.S. 6th Fleet officials said the fleet will redeploy as planned to its home port in the coming days, where it will prepare for future deployments.
The Pentagon will continue to assess the global military posture and maintain an extensive presence in the Middle East and Mediterranean Sea, the officials added.
US Navy approaches Israel with warships and aircraft during Hamas war
The American aircraft carrier Gerald R. Ford is seen from above, anchored in Trieste Bay, Italy. USS Gerald R. Ford is the world's largest warship. (Andrej Tarfila/SOPA Images/LightRocket, Getty Images)
Ships remaining in the area include the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group, additional cruisers and destroyers from both the Middle East and the Mediterranean, and the recently arrived Wasp-class amphibious ships USS Bataan and Harpers Ferry-class dock landing ships. It can be done. USS Carter Hall in the Eastern Mediterranean.
Bataan Hall and Carter Hall will join the San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock ship USS Mesa Verde and the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), which has regrouped in the region as the Amphibious Readiness Group (ARG). .
The ARG consists of three ships and about 2,000 Marines, officials said.
Hamas leaders were living like wealthy celebrities under Gaza's reign of terror before October 10th 7 Massacres
Strait of Gibraltar – June 13: This document provided by the U.S. Navy depicts the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) passing through the Strait of Gibraltar and entering the Mediterranean Sea on June 13, 2016. . (Michael R. Gendron/U.S. Navy via Getty Images)
The Ford was deployed to the Eastern Mediterranean after the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas to get within range of Israel.
The aircraft carrier remained in the Mediterranean Sea while its companion ships sailed into the Red Sea, repeatedly intercepting incoming ballistic missiles and attack drones launched by Yemen's Houthi rebels.
Both the Ford and Eisenhower aircraft carriers were in the area due to concerns about the escalating conflict between Israel and Hamas.
US Navy says Houthi attacks on Red Sea 'likely to continue'
FILE – The USS Gerald R. Ford, one of the world's largest aircraft carriers, arrives in Halifax on Oct. 28, 2022. (Andrew Vaughan/Canadian Press, via AP, File)
Military presence will remain in the area as Houthi rebels continue their attacks.
On Saturday, the US military shot down two anti-ship ballistic missiles fired into the sea. maersk container ship After a ship was hit by a missile in the Red Sea. U.S. Central Command said two Navy destroyers responded to the call for help, and that the Danish-owned vessel was seaworthy and there were no injuries.
Hours later, four Houthi ships opened fire on the same ship and attempted to board it. U.S. forces in two helicopters responded to the distress call, but were also hit by artillery fire, sinking three Houthi ships and killing their crews. A fourth boat fled the area. No damage to U.S. military personnel or equipment was reported.
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The attacks on commercial ships have prompted some companies to suspend navigation through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which connects the Gulf of Aden with the southern Red Sea and the Suez Canal.
Fox News' Bradford Betz and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
