Home Middle East US amphibious assault ship with embarked F-35Bs enters Persian Gulf

US amphibious assault ship with embarked F-35Bs enters Persian Gulf

USS Makin Island
USS Makin Island (LHD 8) transits the Strait of Hormuz, Feb. 8, 2021. Photo: US Navy

US Navy amphibious assault ship USS Makin Island (LHD 8) and guided-missile cruiser USS Port Royal (CG 73) entered the Persian Gulf on February 8 for operations and maneuvers.

The two ships were joined by dry cargo ship USNS Carl Brashear (T-AKE 7) on their transit of the Strait of Hormuz on February 8.

Makin Island is the flagship of the Makin Island Amphibious Ready Group (ARG), which includes amphibious transport dock ships USS Somerset (LPD 25) and USS San Diego (LPD 22), and embarked Marines from the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU). San Diego and Somerset entered the Gulf on Jan. 22 and Feb. 5 respectively.

While in the Gulf, the task group will train alongside regional and coalition partners, and provide naval aviation support to operations Inherent Resolve and Enduring Freedom.

Photo: US Navy

Makin Island is now underway in the Persian Gulf after concluding its support of the US Africa Command operation Octave Quartz, whose mission was to reposition US armed forces in Somalia to elsewhere in East Africa.

The latest transit through the Strait of Hormuz continues the trend of high-profile US Navy assets operating in the region. Over the latest few months, the navy has had a continued aircraft carrier presence in the Persian Gulf, with the addition of a guided-missile submarine.

USS Nimitz departed the Middle East earlier this month, after first entering the Persian Gulf in September 2020. The carrier started its transit home after 270 days at sea and could even shatter a post-Cold War deployment record set by the USS Abraham Lincoln last year.