![]() ![]() In addition, the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit, a rapid reaction force capable of conducting special operations, is making preparations in case it is ordered closer to Israel to bolster the US’ force posture there, multiple US officials told CNN. A small handful we know, there could be more than we know, they could be in different groups, they could be moved around,” he said Sunday. Kirby said Sunday that the US knows there are Americans being held hostage by Hamas – going beyond his comments Wednesday, when he said the US believed there were Americans among the hostages. “We’re working on this literally by the hour.” “What I won’t do is rule anything in or out when it comes to getting our hostages home,” he said. Speaking to “Fox News Sunday,” Kirby said there were “no plans or intentions to put US troops on the ground in the fight between Israel and Hamas,” but when pressed repeatedly on whether the administration was considering deploying troops to save Americans, he wouldn’t say no. However, on Sunday, Kirby wouldn’t rule out sending in US troops to help free Americans who may be held hostage by Hamas in Gaza. ![]() “We take our national security interests very seriously in the region,” he said, noting that the purpose of the bolstered force posture was “to act as a deterrent for any other actor, including Hezbollah, that might think that widening this conflict is a good idea.” “There is no intention or plan to put American troops on the ground in Israel,” John Kirby, strategic communications coordinator for the National Security Council, said Thursday. The Biden administration made clear that the carrier and its accompanying force are not there to engage in combat activities on behalf of Israel. Airman 1st Class Josephine Pepin/United States Air Forces Central The Ford can deploy more than 75 aircraft.ĪBC News first reported the carrier strike group’s orders.Ī US Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle assigned to the 494th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron "Mighty Black Panthers" lands in the U.S. The Eisenhower can carry more than 60 aircraft, including F/A-18 fighter jets. The Eisenhower, which is the flagship of the carrier strike group, will be joined by a guided-missile cruiser and two guided-missile destroyers, Austin’s statement said. It is unclear how long the Ford will stay in the region once the Eisenhower carrier strike group arrives, one US defense official told CNN. The aircraft carrier was initially set to sail for the waters of US European Command. Eisenhower strike group, which deployed from Norfolk, Virginia, on Friday, is headed to the eastern Mediterranean. Ford, arrived off the coast of Israel last week. The first carrier strike group, led by the USS Gerald R. The movements are “part of our effort to deter hostile actions against Israel or any efforts toward widening this war following Hamas’s attack on Israel,” Austin said in the statement. The US warships are not intended to join the fighting in Gaza or take part in Israel’s operations, but the presence of two of the Navy’s most powerful vessels is designed to send a message of deterrence to Iran and Iranian proxies in the region, such as Hezbollah in Lebanon. ![]() Scott Miller, told USNI News, which first reported the news of both the electrical issue and the unusual deployment.The Pentagon has ordered a second carrier strike group to the eastern Mediterranean Sea and is sending Air Force fighter jets to the region as Israel prepares to expand its Gaza operations, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in a statement Saturday. In late August, the Truman aircraft carrier experienced an "electrical malfunction within the ship's electrical distribution system requiring analysis and repair," a US Fleet Forces Command spokesman, Capt. But, the East Coast carrier fleet may be short a suitable alternative in the inventory because of maintenance backlogs and delivery delays, among other issues. Normally, if a carrier is down for maintenance or some other reason, it will simply be replaced with another carrier. Truman aircraft carrier will remain behind. These ships will be accompanied by helicopters from Helicopter Maritime Squadron 72 out of Naval Air Station Jacksonville in Florida. The destroyers Lassen, Farragut, and Forrest Sherman, along with the cruiser Normandy, are expected to set sail from their homeports in Norfolk, Virginia, and Mayport, Florida, in the near future. Truman Carrier Strike Group are deploying without their carrier and accompanying air wing after the flattop suffered an unexpected electrical problem that required maintenance, the Navy revealed Thursday afternoon. Account icon An icon in the shape of a person's head and shoulders. ![]()
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