New Delhi: The USS Eisenhower, a flagship for Commander, Carrier Strike Group (CCSG) 2, has been deployed to the eastern Mediterranean "to deter hostile actions against Israel or any efforts toward widening this war following Hamas's attack," US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said Saturday.
The USS Eisenhower, along with its affiliated warships, is set to join another carrier group in the wake of the Israel-Gaza war.
US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, on Saturday, said, “The deployment signals Washington's "ironclad commitment to Israel's security and our resolve to deter any state or non-state actor seeking to escalate this war."
5 facts about the USS Eisenhower carrier
- – The USS Eisenhower, named after Dwight D. Eisenhower, is the US Navy's finest 5-star aircraft carrier. He was the 34th president of the United States Of America.
- USS Eisenhower is a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier.
- It has a capacity to carry 5,000 soldiers.
- USS Eisenhower also provides a range of flexible mission capabilities to incorporate maritime security operations, expeditionary power projection, forward naval presence, crisis response, sea control, deterrence, counter-terrorism, information operations, security cooperation and counter-proliferation.
- It is a part of the Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group (IKE CSG).
As per the official statement released by the US Navy, USS Eisenhower will join the guided-missile cruiser USS Philippine Sea (CG 58) and guided-missile destroyer USS Gravely (DDG 107), which departed Naval Station Norfolk, and guided-missile destroyer USS Mason (DDG 87).
Meanwhile, over 1,300 Israelis have died in the surprise attack. Now, the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) is preparing for a ground attack on Gaza.