After Hamas’ terrorist attack on Israel, the USA sent the “USS Gerald R. Ford” to the Mediterranean as a deterrent. Now the aircraft carrier will return to its home port. However, other ships remain in the region.
After a three-month special mission in the Eastern Mediterranean, the USA is withdrawing the aircraft carrier “USS Gerald R. Ford”.
The ship and its associated group will return to their home port in Norfolk, Virginia, in the coming days to prepare for future operations, the US Navy said.
The USA wants to continue to have a maritime presence
However, the US military will maintain extensive capabilities in the Mediterranean and throughout the Middle East. These included the aircraft carrier “USS Dwight D. Eisenhower”, cruisers and destroyers as well as other ships that had recently arrived in the region.
The US Department of Defense will continue to use its presence in the area “to deter any state or non-state actor from escalating this crisis beyond the Gaza Strip.” The US is also working with allies and partners to strengthen maritime security in the region, it said.
The purpose of the operation was deterrence
After the massacre of terrorists from Hamas and other extremist groups in Israel on October 7th and the start of the war in the Middle East, the US emphasized that it supported Israel’s right to defend itself and announced that it would provide security assistance. The US government made it clear at the time that the warships were not intended to take part in combat operations, but rather only served as a deterrent – for example against possible Iranian intervention in the conflict.
The aircraft carrier “USS Gerald R. Ford” is powered by a nuclear reactor. The 333 meter long ship is named after the 38th President of the USA and can accommodate up to 90 fighter jets and helicopters as well as several thousand soldiers.
Jan-Christoph Kitzler, ARD Tel Aviv, tagesschau, January 2nd, 2024 5:52 p.m