All articles tagged with #us navy
U.S. Central Command says two Navy destroyers transited the Strait of Hormuz and began setting conditions for clearing sea mines laid by Iran’s IRGC, establishing a safe passage and promising to share the new route with the maritime industry as additional assets, including underwater drones, join the operation.
Three San Diego–based warships led by the USS Boxer, carrying up to 2,500 Marines from Camp Pendleton’s 11th MEU, departed for the Middle East to bolster U.S. forces amid tensions with Iran; the Boxer with its Portland and Comstock is part of a Boxer Amphibious Ready Group intended for rapid-response missions, following the earlier deployment of another carrier group and amid Pentagon plans to potentially augment regional ground operations and secure key maritime chokepoints.
Three U.S. Navy ships, including the USS Boxer, left Naval Base San Diego; while the Navy’s Third Fleet says the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit is conducting routine Pacific operations, officials say the ships are moving to the Middle East, carrying about 2,500 Marines and roughly 4,000 total personnel.
Satellite-tracked movement shows the USS Tripoli (LHA-7), carrying about 2,200 Marines from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, sailing toward the Middle East with two escort ships. The deployment signals a broader U.S. force buildup around Iran, though officials have not confirmed any ground invasion or official troop counts, and it could take up to two weeks to position. The Tripoli will join carrier groups Ford and Lincoln; the MEU is a rapid‑response, self-contained force capable of ground, air and logistics operations, with the exact implications for Iran still uncertain.
The USS Gerald R. Ford, the Navy’s most advanced aircraft carrier, is moving away from Iran-related operations in the Red Sea and heading to Souda Bay in Crete for repairs after a March 12 fire in the ship’s laundry area. The non-combat incident injured two sailors who were treated and stabilized; about 600 crew members were displaced and more than 100 bunks damaged. The Ford’s carrier strike group will remain in the region while repairs are assessed, and officials say the deployment could become one of the longest since Vietnam if it lasts through mid-April.
A fire aboard the USS Gerald R. Ford injures sailors and destroys about 100 berths, prompting a planned voyage to Crete for repairs on a nearly year-long deployment in the Red Sea, while ongoing toilet-clog problems and morale strains dominate discussions about the carrier’s readiness; officials and media say the ship may be relieved by another carrier as regional tensions with Iran persist.
The USS Gerald R. Ford, the Navy’s premier aircraft carrier, is retreating from the Red Sea to Crete after a laundry-room fire injures at least two sailors. The 100,000-ton nuclear-powered ship—on an extended deployment amid tensions with Iran—will head to port as investigators assess the incident, reducing carrier availability in the region and potentially complicating ongoing Iran-related operations.
A US Navy amphibious assault ship, USS Tripoli, believed to be ferrying about 2,200 Marines from the Okinawa-based 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit to the Middle East, was tracked near Singapore as it transited toward the region. Officials did not disclose exact deployment details, and such ships often have AIS transponders off in busy waterways like the Malacca Strait.
Gecko Robotics will outfit 18 Pacific Fleet ships with wall-climbing AI inspection robots under a five-year, up-to-$71 million contract (initial award up to $54 million) to scan hulls, decks and welds for corrosion and fatigue, automating data collection to flag defects early and reduce maintenance delays as the Navy targets 80% fleet readiness by 2027 amid China’s expanding naval power.
The Trump administration is considering a two-phase naval escort operation to move oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz as attacks and Iranian threats disrupt shipping and push up oil prices. The plan would start by degrading Iran’s ability to strike ships, then deploy escorted convoys with air cover and potential international partners. Experts warn the mission would be high-risk due to mines, missiles and drones, and would hinge on how much Iran’s capability has already been degraded, drawing on past escorts in the 1980s for context.
U.S. Navy destroyers in the Eastern Mediterranean have fired SM-3 interceptors three times in two weeks to shoot down Iranian ballistic missiles in Turkish airspace, including Friday when USS Oscar Austin launched at least one SM-3; NATO defenses intercepted the strike and debris fell in Gaziantep. The engagements are part of broad Epic Fury air-defense operations, with SM-3 variants costing from about $10–$28 million and officials warning that more interceptors are needed amid regional threats.
The U.S. says its navy isn’t ready to escort oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz yet, with officials expecting escorts by month’s end as Washington focuses on degrading Iran’s offensive capabilities; the broader conflict has driven oil prices higher and triggered a wide array of strikes, diplomatic moves, and regional security concerns.
The Trump administration is scrambling to avert a global oil crisis as Iran threatens shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, weighing a US naval escort and market interventions to restart tanker traffic and stabilize prices, while confronting storage constraints, high crude costs, and political pressure ahead of midterm elections.
The Houthis’ Red Sea drone and missile campaign forced the U.S. Navy to expend hundreds of high-cost interceptors (SM-2/3/6), sometimes up to $4 million each, in a long-running, asymmetrical battle that exposed vulnerabilities and served as a critical warm-up for potential high-end conflicts with Iran or China. The piece notes fatigue and ammunition depth as the Navy learns to counter drones, missiles, and unmanned surface craft, while warning that a broader war could require deploying another carrier strike group.
Iran's Revolutionary Guards said they would welcome U.S. naval escort for oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz, a stance aligning with President Trump’s earlier hint that U.S. ships could accompany crossings amid rising Gulf tensions and attacks on vessels in the area.