USS Gerald R. Ford, the US Navy's newest and most advanced aircraft carrier, and another American flattop recently conducted dual carrier operations in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea.
Last week, the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower carrier strike group participated in joint training exercises with USS Gerald R. Ford and its escort ships focused on high-value unit defense, ballistic missile defense, replenishments at sea, cross-deck flight operations, and maritime security operations.
The two US Navy strike groups were joined by two Italian Navy frigates, ITS Virginio Fasan and ITS Carlo Margottini. The joint exercise was intended to demonstrate a unified front among allies as well as the ability to respond quickly and decisively to crises.
"Our presence sends a clear signal about our commitment to deter aggression and promote stability throughout the region," Vice Admiral Thomas Ishee, commander of the US Sixth Fleet, said in a press release.
The two American strike groups were sent to the Eastern Mediterranean Sea as a show of support for Israel and a deterrent against escalation after the attacks by Hamas militants on October 7, 2023, which ignited a war at risk of evolving into a broader conflict.
After the exercises concluded, the Eisenhower and its escort ships moved into the Red Sea, leaving the Ford in the Eastern Mediterranean. Here are the warships and combat capabilities of the Eisenhower strike group in the Middle East.