After a deployment lasting several months in response to the Hamas attack on Israel, the USA has withdrawn the aircraft carrier “Dwight D. Eisenhower” from the Red Sea. The ship and its convoy are on their way back to the USA, the responsible regional command Centcom announced.
The “Eisenhower” will be replaced by the aircraft carrier “Theodore Roosevelt” and its fleet, which is reportedly still in the Indo-Pacific and is scheduled to arrive in the region next week.
For more than seven months, the aircraft carrier “Dwight D. Eisenhower” and its fleet protected ships crossing the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, was involved in rescuing sailors and deterring the Houthi militia in Yemen, Pentagon spokesman Pat Ryder said.
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin had decided not to extend the deployment of the old aircraft carrier for a third time.
The aircraft carrier “USS Dwight D. Eisenhower” is, like others, powered by a nuclear reactor. The 333-meter-long ship is named after the 34th President of the USA and has space for up to 90 combat aircraft and helicopters as well as several thousand soldiers.
The “Eisenhower” was involved in the multinational security initiative “Operation Prosperity Guardian”, which aims to ensure security and freedom of navigation in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.
The US emphasizes that it supports Israel’s right to defend itself. The US government had made it clear that the US warships deployed to the region were not intended to take part in combat operations, but merely served as a deterrent.
