After spending over 238 days at sea since departing its home port in San Diego, the carrier strike group of the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson is now returning to the United States through the Indian Ocean, marking one of the longest deployments by a Nimitz-class carrier based on the U.S. West Coast. Over the past three months, the carrier and its escort ships had reinforced the U.S. Navy’s presence in the Middle East, aiming to counter the impact of Houthi rebel attacks on maritime trade in the region since 2023.
It is worth recalling that the USS Carl Vinson, along with the Ticonderoga-class cruiser USS Princeton (CG-59) and the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Sterett (DDG-104), arrived in the area under U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) this past April following a visit to the strategic base of Guam in late March. Their move from the Indo-Pacific to the Arabian Sea, according to several U.S. media reports, was in response to growing regional tensions between Israel and Iran, for which the USS Nimitz and its own strike group had also been deployed.
In addition to these forces, the U.S. Navy also maintained the independent deployment of two destroyers in the Red Sea, specifically the USS Forrest Sherman (DDG-98) and USS Truxtun (DDG-103). Meanwhile, five other destroyers were positioned under CENTCOM in the Mediterranean Sea to support the interception of missiles and drones launched against Israeli territory — a presence that has recently been scaled down, with only the USS Arleigh Burke (DDG-51) currently remaining deployed.
It is important to note that, following the bombing of Iran’s main nuclear facilities by B-2 bombers, the renewed Houthi attacks are seen by analysts as Tehran’s attempt to assert continued regional influence and pressure Israel during its negotiations with the terrorist group Hamas for a ceasefire. Among the most recent incidents was the assault on the Liberian-flagged MV Magic Seas on July 6, which involved the use of missiles, drones, and small boats. Just one day later, the rebels carried out a prolonged attack on the MV Eternity C, claiming the ship violated a ban on docking at Israeli ports. The assault left four crew members dead and several others missing.
Cover image: Petty Officer Second Class Nathan Jordan
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