Roosevelt deployment extended in Middle East, US to keep 2 carrier strike groups in the region

The Theodore Roosevelt carrier strike group transits the Pacific Ocean in 2020. (Jason Isaacs/U.S. Navy)

By CAITLYN BURCHETT  STARS AND STRIPES • August 26, 2024

WASHINGTON — The Middle East deployment of the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt has been extended following a weekend of Israel and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah trading heavy fire, the Pentagon said Monday. “Given the tensions in the Middle East and given our commitment to continue to support Israel’s defense and deter potential aggression, the secretary did order an extension of Theodore Roosevelt carrier strike group,” said Air Force Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder, the top Pentagon spokesman. The Roosevelt and its strike group will remain in the Middle East, joining the USS Abraham Lincoln and its escorts. The announcement marks the second time the U.S. has positioned two carrier strike groups in the region. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Sunday on the social media platform X that two strike groups would be postured in the region. Ryder said Monday that the decision was made “over the weekend” but declined to say if the decision came before or after tensions between Israel and Hezbollah came to a head Saturday. It is unclear how long the Roosevelt, which has already been deployed for eight months, will be extended, with neither Austin nor Ryder indicating a timeline for the extension. Historically, carrier deployments have been extended in 30-day increments. “We will do everything we can to ensure we can meet our national security commitments, while also at the same time managing the finite resources that we do have around the world,” Ryder said. The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt transits in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations on Aug. 10, 2024. Theodore Roosevelt is deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations to support maritime security and stability in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility. (U.S. Navy) Israel fired preemptive strikes Saturday, with Hezbollah launching drones and missiles after weeks of cease-fire negotiations and a hostage deal to at least temporarily end the 10-month Israel-Hamas war in Gaza. The U.S. provided information, surveillance and reconnaissance support to Israel in tracking incoming Hezbollah attacks over the weekend, Ryder said.

The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt transits in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations on Aug. 10, 2024. Theodore Roosevelt is deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations to support maritime security and stability in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility. (U.S. Navy)

But the U.S. did not participate in the firefight; Ryder said Israel was able to defend itself with its own capabilities. “Should there have been a need for us to do that, certainly, we are posed and ready to go,” he said. The Roosevelt deployed in January from San Diego for an Indo-Pacific region deployment. The aircraft carrier and its strike group were redirected in late June to the Middle East to relieve the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower. Also in the region is the amphibious assault ship USS Wasp and its group. “We remain well postured to support Israel’s defense against any aggression from Iran, Lebanese Hezbollah or other actors, as we’ve been from the start,” Ryder said. CAITLYN BURCHETT Caitlyn Burchett covers defense news at the Pentagon. Before joining Stars and Stripes, she was the military reporter for The Virginian-Pilot in Norfolk, Va. She is based in Washington, D.C.

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