The new carrier group includes the USS George H.W. Bush, which carries 48 fighter jets. It will be placed under the command of the U.S. Central Command and will participate in operations related to Iran.
Additionally, the group will be joined by the guided-missile destroyers USS Ross, USS Donald Cook, and USS Mason, which are already en route from the Atlantic to the Middle East region.
Recently, the carrier group with the USS George H.W. Bush completed exercises in the Atlantic Ocean, confirming its readiness to participate in major military operations.
Currently, there are two carrier groups in the CENTCOM area of responsibility: the USS Abraham Lincoln, which is stationed in the Arabian Sea, and the USS Gerald R. Ford. The latter, after an incident involving a fire on board, was forced to leave the operational area in the Red Sea and head for repairs at Souda Bay on the island of Crete.
The USS Gerald R. Ford has been on an extended deployment since June of last year, exceeding its standard operational timeframe in the far sea zone. Initially, the group was sent to the Caribbean for operations against Venezuela and was later redeployed to the Middle East.
It is quite likely that the USS George H.W. Bush, upon arriving in the region, will replace the USS Gerald R. Ford in the group.
