The US Navy aircraft carrier that spent months fighting the Houthis in the Red Sea is rearmed and back in the waterway after a short break. The warship’s return comes as U.S. intelligence warns the conflict could last for some time.
The USS Dwight D. Eisenhower and the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Gravely are returning to the Red Sea to continue their maritime security mission after a recent stop in Souda Bay, Greece, a port confirmed Tuesday -Navy spokesperson to Business Insider.
U.S. Naval Support Activity Souda Bay, located on the Mediterranean island of Crete, is a decades-old forward operating station where U.S. and NATO ships can receive maintenance, cargo, food, fuel, supplies and ammunition.
During the brief port call, both ships were resupplied and rearmed while their sailors enjoyed a moment of relaxation, the spokesperson said. This was their first stop since beginning their ongoing deployment in mid-October.
The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower prepares to dock in Souda Bay, Greece, April 28. US Navy by Seaman Mercy Crowe, Mass Communications Specialist/Released
Since arriving in the region, in an intense combat environment, the Navy’s Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group, consisting of the Ike, the Gravely and several other warships, has defended shipping lanes in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden from incessant missile and drone attacks by the Houthis.
Rear Adm. Marc Miguez, commander of the carrier strike group, said the Sailors “worked tirelessly for six straight months to enable us to operate on station in the most challenging and dynamic combat environment the Navy has known for decades.
“This port visit is well deserved,” Miguez said in a Navy statement after the Ike and Gravely left Souda Bay last week.
The Navy has spent nearly $1 billion on missiles to counter Houthi threats. Beyond intercepting air attacks, U.S. forces have also carried out strikes in Yemen, hammering Iranian-backed rebels before they had a chance to launch their weapons.
An F/A-18F Super Hornet, attached to the “Fighting Swordsmen” of Strike Fighter Squadron 32, aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower is launched from the flight deck during a handover ceremony airborne command in the Red Sea. on April 16. US Navy photo
This figure, disclosed by Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro in mid-April, underscores the growing financial cost of fighting the Houthis and the need for U.S. Navy ships to replenish their munitions in order to remain in the struggle, which currently shows no signs. to slow down.
Last week, the U.S. intelligence chief warned lawmakers that the Houthis “are going to remain active for some time,” in part because they produce a lot of weapons at home while continuing to receive support from the Iran.
“None of these things are likely to change in the near future,” Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines told the Senate Armed Services Committee during a hearing on global threats.
“This is not to say that the strikes carried out by the Department of Defense and the coalition with our allies have not had an impact,” she said, referring to unilateral US strikes and joint strikes with the United Kingdom in Yemen. “They did,” she added, “but it wasn’t enough to really stop the Houthis from going down that path.”
The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Gravely arrives in Souda Bay, Crete, April 28. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Nicholas Rodriguez/Released
The Houthis have claimed their attacks were directly linked to Israel’s ground offensive in the Gaza Strip, sparked by the Hamas massacre on October 7, but US officials have refuted this claim, citing the wide range of nationalities that were targeted at sea by the rebels.
Haines told lawmakers it was unclear whether a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas would lead to a decline in Houthi activity.
While there may be no immediate end to the conflict in the Red Sea, U.S. officials have regularly emphasized that U.S. forces will continue to engage the Houthis.
Pentagon press secretary Air Force Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder told reporters last month that “as long as there is a threat to international shipping and to life and the safety of seafarers transiting the Red Sea, we will continue to work with the international community.” partners to degrade and disrupt the capabilities of the Houthis. »
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