United States – The US military announced the arrival of the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln and its accompanying destroyers to the Middle East yesterday, Wednesday, after Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin ordered the expedited transfer of this naval strike group to the region.
This brings to two the number of US aircraft carriers currently in the Middle East, where fears of a regional military escalation are growing.
The US Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a statement that “the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, equipped with F-35C and F/A-18 Block 3 fighters, has entered the CENTCOM area of responsibility.”
“The Lincoln is the lead ship in Carrier Strike Group 3, accompanied by Destroyer Flotilla 21 and Carrier VW 9,” she added. Lincoln is set to replace the USS Theodore Roosevelt.
The US Department of Defense (the Pentagon) announced on August 11 that Austin had ordered the Lincoln carrier to “accelerate its transfer” to the Middle East, after he had ordered it to be sent to the region earlier in the month.
The Pentagon revealed on August 3 that Secretary Lloyd Austin had ordered the dispatch of Navy ships and destroyers to the Middle East.
The ministry said that the US military is working to raise the level of readiness to deploy more ground-based missile defenses, and it also stated that the United States has decided to send additional fighter squadrons to the Middle East.
The ministry indicated in its statement that Minister Austin ordered the dispatch of the aircraft carrier “Abraham Lincoln” to replace the aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt, explaining that the goal of this step is to maintain the presence of a striking force in the Middle East.
The Pentagon also noted that Secretary Austin had ordered adjustments to the US military posture in the Middle East, in an effort to maintain the ability for the United States to deploy at short notice to confront any threats to its national security. However, Austin also stressed that further escalation is not inevitable and that all countries in the region will benefit from a reduction in tensions.
The Pentagon announced that Secretary Austin informed his Israeli counterpart, Yoav Galant, of additional measures taken by Washington to support Israel’s defense.
Source: Agencies
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2024-08-23 03:17:36
