US carrier battle group heads to Europe – media – RT World News
The flotilla would be led by the new supercarrier USS Gerald Ford, currently on its first deployment
A US carrier battle group, led by the new super aircraft carrier USS Gerald Ford, is expected to drop anchor near Portsmouth, southern England, in mid-November, the UK Defense Journal reported on Sunday.
The exact date of the arrival of the flotilla, which includes seven other warships, has not been publicly announced, the newspaper noted. Publish this data now « may not be the best idea from a security point of view », he added.
Some of the US ships will dock at the Royal Navy’s Portsmouth Naval Base, while the USS Gerald Ford will have to anchor outside in the Spithead area due to its size, according to the outlet. .
The 333-meter aircraft carrier would accommodate some 90 aircraft and helicopters, including fifth-generation F-35C fighter-bombers.
The USS Gerald Ford, commissioned by the US Navy in 2017, is the first Ford-class ship of the same name, and is the largest aircraft carrier in the world.
It began its first « sustained-in-service » deployment on October 4, departing Norfolk, Virginia. The ship visited its first international port on Friday, arriving in Halifax, Canada.
According to the US Navy, the USS Gerald Ford has conducted multinational maritime exercises in the Atlantic Ocean with NATO allies such as Canada, Spain, Denmark, the Netherlands and Germany.
After leaving Halifax, the supercarrier is expected to continue « to conduct training and operations alongside NATO allies and partners to strengthen the integration of future operations and demonstrate the U.S. Navy’s commitment to a peaceful, stable, and conflict-free Atlantic region, » he added.
Carrier Strike Group Commander Rear Admiral Greg Huffman described the deployment as « an opportunity to advance Ford’s operational capabilities and demonstrate the benefits Ford and Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 8 bring to the future of naval aviation, to the region, and to our allies and partners. »
If reports that the US flotilla is heading for British shores are confirmed, it will become the second US carrier battle group in European waters.
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