Pentagon chief extends deployment of aircraft carriers, ships to Red Sea as Houthi attacks continue

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. Navy carrier strike group that for months launched crucial strikes against Houthi rebels in Yemen to protect military and commercial vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden will remain in the region for at least another month, according to U.S. officials.

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin signed an order last week to extend the deployment of the four ships for a second time, rather than using the aircraft carrier, the USS Dwight D. Eisenhowe r, and its three warships. The other ships in the strike group are the USS Philippine Sea, a cruiser, and two destroyers, the USS Gravely and the USS Mason. In total, they have around 6,000 sailors.

The move means the carrier’s sailors and Air Wing won’t return home until midsummer, according to the officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss a decision that did not been made public. Officials declined to provide exact dates.

A normal ship deployment lasts about seven months, and the ships departed their homeport of Norfolk, Virginia, in October. Austin approved the first order to extend their deployment about four weeks ago.

Austin had been considering the decision for another extension for some time. Navy leaders regularly push to bring ships home to maintain a repair schedule and give sailors a much-needed break. But leaders at U.S. Central Command have long argued that having a carrier in the region is essential for international security, including deterring Iran.

In recent months, ships have played a crucial role in protect commercial and military vessels from a dramatic increase in attacks in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden by the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen. And officials say a significant U.S. naval engagement in the region sends a strong signal to the commercial shipping industry that ships can benefit from protection as they navigate the crucial transit route across the Red Sea , from the Suez Canal to the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.

About 12 percent of global trade typically passes through the waterway that separates Africa from the Arabian Peninsula, including oil, natural gas, grains and everything from toys to electronics.

The Houthis have been attacking ships since November, saying they want to force Israel to end its offensive in the Gaza Strip against Hamas. But the ships targeted by the Houthis mostly have little or no ties to Israel, the United States or other countries involved in the war. Rebels have also fired missiles toward Israel, but they have largely failed or been intercepted.

Eisenhower and his strike group were involved in routine operations against the Houthis all year. They also took part in five major joint missions with British forces to target dozens of the militant group’s drones, missile launchers and other installations and targets.

The ships also spearhead Operation Prosperity Guardian, announced by Austin in December as a multinational mission to ensure security and freedom of navigation in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.

On Thursday, for example, F/A-18 fighter jets off Eisenhower struck a series of targets in Yemen, in response to a recent increase in the group’s attacks. And other ships in the strike group also launched missiles as part of the operation.

Any decision to bring the carrier home would leave the region without carrier-based fighter jets, and commanders would have to rely more on land-based aircraft or other warships, which do not have fighter jets, to eliminate Houthi drones or other munitions preparing to be launched.

According to Lt. Cmdr. Lauren Chatmas, the strike group’s aircraft flew more than 12,100 sorties, totaling more than 27,200 flight hours, and launched more than 350 air-to-ground weapons and more than 50 air-to-air missiles. The warships each traveled more than 55,000 miles and launched more than 100 Standard and Tomahawk missiles. In total, the strike group engaged approximately 430 pre-planned or dynamic targets in its mission to defend U.S., coalition and merchant shipping.