US Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group passes Strait of Gibraltar

The Dwight D Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group passed through the Strait of Gibraltar en route to the Eastern Mediterranean on Saturday.   

The Eisenhower carrier strike group will be joining the Gerald R Ford Carrier Strike Group to deter escalation in the region in support of Israel.   

The US Fleet Forces Command shared images of the carrier group in transit on social media, accompanied by the caption: 'There's no substitute for presence.'

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"Our carrier strike groups give us the ability to launch operations independently, anywhere in the world and immediately upon arrival," a US official said. 

"When we send them somewhere, we are deliberately sending an incredibly strong signal to our adversaries, but also to our allies and partners about the depth of our support, and the ability of the US military to expeditiously, dynamically, respond to contingencies anywhere in the world."   

In addition to the carrier strike groups, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin also ordered the deployment of a terminal high-altitude area defence battery and additional Patriot battalions to the region.  

The USS Dwight D Eisenhower's carrier strike group contains the guided-missile cruiser USS Philippine Sea, the guided-missile destroyers USS Mason and USS Gravely of Destroyer Squadron 22, Carrier Air Wing 3 with its nine squadrons, and the Information Warfare Commander.   

The French and British Royal Navy have also deployed ships to the region.   

The French have deployed a Mistral-class amphibious helicopter carrier called Tonnerre  

While the ship is capable of landing hundreds of troops on foreign shores, its mission in the Mediterranean will be purely humanitarian – to deliver medical aid to Gaza.   

Meanwhile, the Royal Navy has deployed RFA Lyme Bay and RFA Argus.