autoevolution 28 May 2021, 14:30 UTC ·
by
They like to call it Ike, and it is a Nimitz-class nuclear-powered aircraft carrier. In service since the 1970s, and officially named USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69), the fearsome floating arsenal is presently deployed with the U.S. 5th Fleet, supporting the drawdown operations from Afghanistan together with its Strike Group from the waters of the Arabian Sea. 6 photos
And we re talking active support, if we are to trust the words of the sailors serving on board. As per a video published by the U.S. Navy earlier this week, possibly thousands of pieces of precision-guided munitions have been sent on their merry way by the carrier’s airplanes.
US deploying B-52s, F/A-18s to protect troops withdrawing from Afghanistan amid high levels of violence
10 May 2021
by Gabriel Dominguez
The United States is deploying additional military aircraft to bolster protection for US and coalition troops making their final withdrawal from Afghanistan as the fighting between Afghan government troops and the Taliban continues at a high level.
“To maximise force protection, we have bolstered our security with additional firepower. The SECDEF [US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin] has directed six additional B-52 long-range strike bombers and a package of 12 fighter-bombers, F[/A]-18s, postured to offer contingency support,” US Army General Mark A Milley, the chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), said during a 6 May briefing.
VIRIN: 140724-N-ZE250-029
“Our presence in the U.S. 6th Fleet area of operations is highly significant in showing that we are committed to operations with our allies and maintaining a shared vision of success as we work to achieve common goals,” said Rear Adm. Scott F. Robertson, Commander, Carrier Strike Group TWO. “There’s simply no substitute for U.S. naval presence in Europe. We have the ability to adapt in any situation and can provide a formidable deterrence against adversaries seeking to undermine the prosperity and values which allow for stability and regional security.”
Robertson also added that he was incredibly proud of the Sailors on Vella Gulf for powering through needed repairs to return to the front lines with the rest of the IKE Carrier Strike Group.