After more than eight months of operational deployment in the Middle East and Europe, the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier strike group of the USS Harry S. Truman (CVN-75) of the United States Navy concluded its missions in the areas of responsibility of the U.S. 5th and 6th Fleets, returning to Naval Station Norfolk in the state of Virginia. The naval force, which set sail in September 2024, undertook a demanding schedule that included operations in the Red Sea, multinational exercises with NATO countries, and diplomatic port visits across Europe.
Throughout its deployment, the strike group—comprising the USS Truman, the cruiser USS Gettysburg (CG-64), the destroyers USS Stout (DDG-55) and USS Jason Dunham (DDG-109), and Carrier Air Wing 1 (CVW-1) with nine squadrons—conducted over 13,000 flight operations, accumulating around 25,000 flight hours. The group’s ships covered more than 24,000 nautical miles in a mission defined by power projection, deterrence, and allied support.
During its operations in Europe, the USS Truman took part in the Neptune Strike 24-2 exercise in the North Sea, working alongside ships from Portugal, Norway, and Italy, as well as the United Kingdom’s Carrier Strike Group. The group also made port calls in key locations such as Norway, Sweden, Germany, France, Spain, Greece, Croatia, and Finland, reinforcing the U.S. naval presence along NATO’s flank.
While transitioning to the second phase of its mission, the USS Harry S. Truman strike group experienced the first of what would become a series of unfortunate events during its deployment—a collision with a civilian vessel off the coast of Egypt. This led to an unscheduled stop in Souda Bay, Greece, for repairs. At the same time, the ship’s commanding officer, Captain Dave Snowden, was relieved and replaced by Captain Christopher Hill.
Once in the Middle East, in February, the group supported U.S. AFRICOM operations from the Red Sea, launching strikes against ISIS targets in Somalia. Then in March, its units participated in the initial strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen as part of Operation Rough Rider, employing Tomahawk missiles and precision airstrikes to degrade the operational capabilities of the Iran-backed rebels and to protect commercial maritime traffic in the Red Sea.
It is important to note that during its time in the region, the U.S. Navy aircraft carrier was the target of multiple Houthi attacks. In one such instance last month, the ship was forced to perform sharp evasive maneuvers that resulted in the loss of a second F/A-18 Super Hornet from its air wing, which fell into the sea while being towed on the hangar deck. The first aircraft had been lost in December due to a friendly fire incident involving the USS Gettysburg (CG-64). More recently, the carrier was involved in yet another incident leading to the loss of a third F/A-18 Super Hornet, adding to the growing list of problems reported during the deployment. According to the U.S. Navy, this last incident was not the result of Houthi action, but rather a malfunction during a landing maneuver on the flight deck.
Leaving the Middle East in early May, the return of the USS Harry S. Truman to the United States marks the end of a deployment that tested the U.S. Navy’s ability to respond, project force, and sustain logistics in increasingly complex operational environments.
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