After completing a combat deployment of more than eight months, the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman is currently sailing through the Mediterranean Sea on its return journey to the United States from the Middle East, having already crossed the Suez Canal this past weekend. Taking advantage of its transit through the region, the ship has joined the final phase of the Neptune Strike exercises alongside allied forces within the framework of NATO, after which it is expected to head toward Naval Station Norfolk in the state of Virginia.
It is worth recalling that the carrier’s deployment began in September 2024, when it departed from its home port toward the North Sea to participate in readiness exercises before continuing on to its destination in the Middle East. While en route to this second stage of its mission, the USS Harry S. Truman experienced the first in a series of unfortunate events that marked its deployment: a collision with a civilian vessel near the Egyptian coast. This resulted in an unplanned stop at Souda Bay in Greece for maintenance work. At the same time, the ship’s captain, Dave Snowden, was dismissed and replaced by Captain Christopher Hill.
Once in its deployment zone, the Truman led Operation Rough Rider for several months. The operation was outlined by Washington with the aim of weakening the capabilities of the Houthi rebel group in Yemen, which had been attacking maritime trade routes passing through the Suez Canal, claiming to support the Palestinian cause. The campaign led to multiple extensions of the originally planned deployment period. However, more recently, President Donald Trump paused the operations in response to an alleged request for capitulation from the faction, which was later denied by the Houthis.
It is important to note that during its time in the region, the carrier was targeted multiple times by Houthi attacks. In one incident last month, the ship was forced to perform abrupt evasive maneuvers, resulting in the loss of a second F/A-18 Super Hornet from its embarked air wing. The aircraft fell into the sea while it was being towed on the hangar deck. The first Super Hornet had been lost in December in a friendly fire incident involving the cruiser USS Gettysburg (CG-64).
More recently, the carrier was involved in another incident that resulted in the loss of a third F/A-18 Super Hornet, adding to the already long list of problems reported during the deployment. In this case, the U.S. Navy stated that the event was not caused by Houthi action but rather by a malfunction during the aircraft’s landing on the flight deck. Specifically, the aircraft’s arresting hook failed to properly catch the arresting cable, making it necessary to deploy a rescue helicopter to recover the two pilots who were inside the cockpit.
*Image credits: Petty Officer 3rd Class Michael Shen
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