The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Carney became the first of the U.S. Navy vessels to be rotated off deployment in the Red Sea and to reach the U.S. The vessel arrived in Norfolk, Virginia, on Friday, May 10 for a brief logistics call and with her brought back a distinguished service record against the Houthis.
Carney departed her home base at Naval Station Mayport, near Jacksonville, Florida, on September 27, 2023. She had been scheduled for an independent deployment to the U.S. 5th and 6th Fleet area of operations. She initially operated with the Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group and later transferred and predominately operated with the Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group.
The destroyer was conducting routine operations in the Mediterranean on October 7, the day of the Hamas attacks on Israel. Eleven days later, on October 18, she transited the Suez Canal and quickly became involved in the conflicts several times being directly targeted. The following day she saw her first engagement becoming the first U.S. vessel to down Houthi drones and missiles.
Admiral Franchetti welcomed the crew of the Carney back to the United States (USN)
Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Lisa Franchetti welcomed the vessel to Norfolk on Friday. She commented, “I could not be more proud of what the Carney team has done since September. Called to action on the very first day that you entered the U.S. 5th Fleet, you conducted 51 engagements in 6 months.”
According to the official Navy account, throughout the ship’s seven-month deployment, Carney successfully destroyed Houthi-launched weapons, including land attack cruise missiles, anti-ship ballistic missiles, and unmanned systems. Additionally, Carney conducted two defensive strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen, destroying 20 targets, and successfully destroying one Iranian-launched medium-range ballistic missile.
Details of when she left the Red Sea region were not supplied but the Navy did confirm she transited the Strait of Gibraltar and entered the Atlantic on April 30. After the brief layover in Norfolk, the vessel is scheduled to return to her home port in the coming days.
