What You Need to Know: The USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) is set to depart the Middle East, but the U.S. Navy and Air Force continue to ensure a strong presence in the region. Additional B-52 bombers, F-22 Raptors, F-16s, A-10s, and F-15E Strike Eagles have been deployed to undisclosed bases, bolstering air power alongside NATO forces.
-While the USS Harry S. Truman (CVN-75) is expected to relieve CVN-72, the amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD-1) and the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit remain on standby in the Mediterranean.
-This substantial force underscores the U.S. commitment to deterring potential threats in the area.
For over a year, the United States Navy has deployed at least one aircraft carrier to the Middle East but USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) – which has been in the region since this past summer – will return to San Diego later this month. The carrier and at least three guided-missile destroyers in the carrier strike group are also scheduled to depart the Middle East.
This doesn't mean the United States will "cut tail and run" – far from it. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin has ordered multiple B-52 Stratofortress bombers, along with fighters and tanker aircraft, deployed to undisclosed bases in the Middle East. Additional U.S. Navy destroyers will also be rotated to the region.
"The next Bomber Task Force-Europe deployment is scheduled to begin in the coming days with U.S. strategic bombers transiting from the continental U.S. to the U.S. European Command area of responsibility," U.S. Air Forces in Europe – Air Forces Africa announced on Friday.
"The long-planned deployment is slated to kick-off with the U.S. Air Force bombers flying on a pre-filed flight plan through international airspace and with the appropriate diplomatic clearances in place for times when aircraft are transiting through a sovereign nation's airspace," USAFEAFA confirmed.
During the BTF deployment, the B-52s will operate alongside NATO allies and partners.
The announcement that U.S. Air Force bombers will be sent to the Middle East comes just a week after the air service ordered F-16 Fighting Falcon multirole fighters from the 480th Fighter Squadron based at Spangdahlem Air Base in Germany to the region.
In addition, the U.S. Air Force has deployed F-22 Raptor air superiority fighters, A-10 Thunderbolt II close air-support combat aircraft, and F-15E Strike Eagles to the region. The latter aircraft, from the 89th Fighter Squadron, Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho, arrived in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility.
Beyond the combat aircraft in the region, the U.S. Air Force also reminded its potential adversaries it can strike anyplace, anytime as a pair of B-2 Spirit stealth bombers were also employed in a strike on underground bunkers used by the Iranian-back Houthi rebels in Yemen.
That marked the first time the B-2 has been used in combat since 2017, and as in past operations, the bombers were deployed from their home field at Whiteman Air Force Base (AFB), Missouri.
The USS Abraham Lincoln will remain in the Middle East for at least a couple more weeks, while the amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD-1) along with the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), is on station in the Eastern Mediterranean to help evacuate U.S. citizens from Lebanon should the need arise.
It is also expected that the Norfolk, Virginia-based USS Harry S. Truman (CVN-75) will head to the Middle East later this month. The warship was originally ordered to the region to allow the U.S. to maintain a two-carrier presence but instead headed to the North Sea to participate in a NATO naval exercise.
With that complete, it is almost certain that CVN-75 will take over for CVN-72 – but even if there is a gap, the U.S. will maintain a significant amount of striking power to deter Iran and its regional proxies.
Peter Suciu is a Michigan-based writer. He has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers, and websites with over 3,200 published pieces over a twenty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: Editor@nationalinterest.org.
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