The US Navy has carried out an exercise in the Arabian Sea that saw the participation of two Nimitz-class aircraft carriers and a B-52 bomber from the US Air Forces Central Command.
Aircraft carriers USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) and USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) met up in the Middle East after deploying in December, 2019, and February, this year, respectively.
The drill took place on March 18 and was designed to test the capability of naval and air commands to build a common tactical picture linking dozens of ships and aircraft.
Worth noting is that the exercise took place just days after another deployed carrier, the USS Theodore Roosevelt, conducted joint operations with amphibious assault ship USS America in the South China Sea. This maneuver also included multiple ships assigned to the strike groups.
“While we continue to take active steps to prevent and mitigate the effects of the COVID-19 across the Middle East, Naval Forces operating in the region have suffered no impacts to readiness. We remain ready and focused to respond forcefully and decisively to any aggression,” said Vice Adm. Jim Malloy, Commander of U.S. Naval Forces Central Command.
“Our two carrier strike groups have been laser-focused on readiness to defeat any threats to security in the region; planning and training specifically against potential threats since June of 2019. While we do not and will not seek conflict at sea, we have never been better postured and more thoroughly prepared to response to it with overwhelming force.”
