USS George H.W. Bush to deploy to Mediterranean, become third aircraft carrier in region - report
The Ford carrier strike group crossed the Suez Canal on Thursday, while the USS Abraham Lincoln is stationed in the Gulf.
The USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77) is expected to deploy to the eastern Mediterranean, Fox News reported on Saturday, joining the USS Abraham Lincoln and USS Gerald R. Ford as the third US Navy aircraft carrier active in the region.
The Bush recently completed the Composite Training Unit Exercise (COMPTUEX), which “brings together all elements of a carrier strike group to operate as a cohesive, multi-domain fighting force,” according to the US Navy.
Like the Lincoln, the Bush is a Nimitz-class supercarrier.
In early February, the Wall Street Journal reported that the Bush could have been deployed to join the Lincoln in the Middle East. However, the Ford was chosen to be sent instead.
USS Gerald R. Ford crosses Suez Canal
On Thursday, the Ford carrier strike group, officially known as Carrier Strike Group 12, crossed the Suez Canal after docking in Haifa and is now positioned in the Red Sea, reportedly prepared to attack or defend should the Houthis attempt to join the ongoing war with Iran.
It entered the Mediterranean after transiting the Strait of Gibraltar, a movement reported by multiple outlets tracking US naval deployments.
General Dan Caine on Wednesday asserted at the Pentagon that the Ford has continued to launch bombers and project combat power in the Gulf, and that the Lincoln Strike Group has pressured Iran from the southeast and attrited the regime's naval capabilities.
James Genn and Shir Perets contributed to this report.