The United States has sent a strike group led by the world’s largest warship to the eastern Mediterranean in response to Hamas’ unprecedented attack on Israel.
The USS Gerald R. Ford, the Navy’s newest and most advanced aircraft carrier, is headed to the region as part of an aircraft carrier strike group consisting of the military’s most advanced hardware, including a fleet of destroyers, guided-missile cruisers and fighter jets.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced the deployment Sunday, hours after Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel that killed hundreds of people, including at least 260 at a festival near the Gaza border. Israel has declared war on Hamas and is about to invade Gaza.
America’s deployment of its most advanced and expensive military hardware marks a major show of force and is accompanied by the commitment of weapons and equipment to the Israeli military.
An aircraft carrier strike group is a naval force consisting of a center aircraft carrier, along with a fleet of supporting ships, often attacking submarines. The US has eleven strike groups, each with enough firepower to match the military forces of many small and medium-sized countries.
The United States has deployed a carrier strike group led by the USS Gerald R. Ford, the world’s largest warship, to the eastern Mediterranean in response to Hamas’ unprecedented attack on Israel.
The USS Gerald R. Ford, the Navy’s newest and most advanced aircraft carrier, has deployed to the Eastern Mediterranean in response to Hamas’ attack on Israel
F-18 fighter jets are seen in the cockpit of USS Gerald R. Ford, on November 17, 2022 in Gosport, England
The USS Gerald R. Ford, which cost approximately $18 billion to develop – including $4.7 billion for research and development and $12.8 billion for construction – can carry up to 90 aircraft, including the world’s most advanced fighter jets the army.
The aircraft carrier, which is powered by two nuclear engines that can operate for 25 years without refueling, is joined in the Mediterranean by a fleet consisting of the USS Normandy guided missile cruiser and the USS Thomas Hudner guided missile destroyer.
Aircraft aboard the aircraft carrier include F-35 stealth fighter jets, which cost about $100 million each and carry radar-guided missiles and laser-guided bombs, along with attack helicopters and tactical surveillance aircraft.
In total, approximately 7,500 employees work within the carrier strike group.
In a statement announcing the deployment, Gen. Michael “Erik” Kurilla, commander of U.S. Central Command, said America “stands unequivocally with our Israeli and regional partners to address the risks posed by any party seeking to expand the conflict.” ‘
The USS Gerald R. Ford can carry up to 90 aircraft, including the F-35 stealth fighter jet
US Navy MH-60 Seahawk helicopters can also be deployed from the USS Gerald R. Ford
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, pictured left in March with his Israeli counterpart Yoav Gallant, said America could “further strengthen” its military presence in the region if necessary.
Austin added, “The U.S. has global forces in place to further strengthen this deterrent posture if necessary.”
Hamas has called the US decision to send the strike group “participation in the aggression against our people” and “an attempt to boost the morale of the crumbling Israeli army.”
The USS Gerald R. Ford, whose first deployment took place in October 2022, marks a new era for aircraft carriers and is the world’s largest warship, measuring 230 feet wide, 250 feet high, and 1,150 feet long. She has a crew of approximately 4,500.
Its firepower is primarily defensive and includes four surface-to-air missile systems and a range of guns, including the Phalanx CIWS radar-guided gun system. Offensive capabilities are provided by the fleet of aircraft and support ships.
The ship was already close to the region around Israel after recently conducting operations near the Strait of Sicily. She would visit the French ports of Marseille and Toulon before the strike group departed for the Mediterranean.
F18 jets in the cockpit of the USS Gerald R. Ford, the largest warship in the world
The United States has pledged its full support to Israel after an unprecedented series of attacks were launched by Hamas on Saturday. Pictured: Israelis walk past a police station in Sderot that was destroyed in a battle after Hamas militants took over the building
Israeli soldier directs armored vehicles towards the southern border with the Gaza Strip on October 8, 2023 in Sderot, Israel. The nation is preparing a full counter-offensive against the terrorist organization, including an invasion of Gaza
People stand among the rubble of a destroyed mosque during Israeli airstrikes in Gaza City on October 9, 2023
Other ships deployed as part of the strike group include:
- USS Normandy guided missile cruiser
- USS Thomas Hudner destroyer
- USS Ramage guided missile destroyer
- USS Carney destroyer
- USS Roosevelt destroyer
The capabilities of these ships range from anti-ship, anti-air and land-based firepower to electronic warfare and surveillance.
The USS Ramage, which reportedly cost more than $1 billion and was launched in 1994, carries Harpoon anti-ship missile launchers, cruise missiles and torpedoes. The USS Thomas Hudner, built under a $663 million contract and launched in 2017, is also equipped with guns, missiles and torpedoes.
Launched from the USS Gerald R. Ford, the F-35 stealth fighter jets can reach speeds of 1,200 mph and can be equipped with guns, missiles and bombs. They have a range of approximately 1200 kilometers.
Senior officials from the Pentagon and State Department briefed senators Sunday evening, and Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said they were confident the United States would “give everything it needs.”
The Hamas attacks on Israel have been compared to the September 11 terrorist attacks on the US and the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941.
The US Navy’s Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Normandy, pictured in 2018, is part of the aircraft carrier strike group launched into the Eastern Mediterranean
F-18 fighter jets are seen in the cockpit of USS Gerald R. Ford, on November 17, 2022 in Gosport, England
Israel has responded by ordering a “full siege” of the Gaza Strip, cutting off food and electricity as the country prepares for a major ground offensive.
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) has already retaliated with a series of massive airstrikes on the Gaza Strip, hitting more than a thousand Hamas targets by Monday morning.
Hamas’ attack and Israel’s response left more than 1,100 dead and thousands injured on both sides.
The State Department said Monday that at least nine American citizens were killed in the Hamas attacks on Israel last weekend, raising the death toll from four.
It said an unspecified number of U.S. citizens remain missing and unaccounted for. On Sunday, an official said the number was variable and ranged from six to 12. It was not clear whether the missing had been taken hostage, murdered or were in hiding.
The State Department is in contact with families “and is providing all appropriate consular assistance,” spokesman Matthew Miller said.
