New U.S. Carrier Strike Group video provides insight into Navy fighting in the Red Sea

As part of these efforts, U.S. forces have frequently been tasked with intercepting Houthi missiles and drones in the air and at sea. The United States has also conducted a number of strikes – unilaterally and with security partners. coalition – targeting rebel facilities and weapons in Yemen.

The brief video, shared this week on various social media accounts and featured on AC/DC’s “Back in Black,” shows U.S. Navy sailors and pilots during operations on the aircraft carrier’s flight deck nuclear-powered, known as Ike. Planes can be seen taking off and landing, as well as being rearmed with munitions.

The video also includes never-before-seen combat footage of U.S. airstrikes targeting the Houthis in Yemen and post-launch intercepts of their threats.

Aerial footage captures explosions on mountains, above and in water, as well as on land. Some coalition partners, such as Britain and France, have also released images of engagements against the Houthis, giving the public a close-up look at the conflict.

Eisenhower’s strike group arrived in the Middle East in early November, and by the end of May, U.S. forces had already fired more than 500 munitions and attacked nearly 430 planned and dynamic Houthi targets, highlighting the fast-paced nature of the operating environment .

This figure has only increased in the weeks since, as Houthi attacks have continued unabated, with no signs of slowing down. U.S. intelligence has warned that the conflict could last for some time, and the growing financial cost of the U.S. naval presence has raised questions about the long-term viability of the anti-Houthi mission.

Regularly engaged in combat against the Houthis, Eisenhower’s strike group had to be rearmed and resupplied during its deployment, extended twice by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin. But, surprisingly this weekend, the Pentagon announced its departure from the Middle East and its intention to return home.

Sailing along the Ike, the Ticonderoga-class cruiser USS Philippine Sea and the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Gravely departed the Red Sea and entered the Eastern Mediterranean on Saturday, officially ending their hectic, high-intensity deployment .

“After an eventful seven months in the Middle East region, the IKE Strike Group is back in the U.S. 6th Fleet, ready as always to demonstrate our flexibility and capabilities wherever needed,” Counter said. -Admiral Kavon Hakimzadeh, the new commander of the aircraft carrier. Strike Group 2, in a statement Monday.

“We are ready to operate anywhere, whenever we have the mission,” he added.

The Ike and its escort warships will soon be replaced by the USS Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Strike Group, which operates in the Indo-Pacific region.

The shift in U.S. naval presence in the Middle East comes amid a particularly active period for the Houthis. This month alone, rebels have struck several commercial ships, including one with a drone for the first time since their troubling Red Sea campaign began in the fall.