USS Harry S Truman Carrier Strike Group transits Strait of Dover on the way to North Sea

A US Carrier Strike Group has travelled through British waters on the way to the North Sea.

The USS Harry S Truman aircraft carrier and its accompanying ships are set to conduct operations in the North Sea and transited through the Strait of Dover on their way to the deployment.

The strike group consists of the carrier and the Carrier Air Wing made up of nine embarked aviation squadrons.

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It is also joined by the Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Gettysburg and two Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers, USS Stout and USS Jason Dunham.

Before entering the Strait of Dover, the strike group had operated off the Azores and Northern Africa for warfighting training between the ships and air wing of the strike group.

Lieutenant Adam Biethman, a reactor department officer on board Harry S Truman, said "it feels like the world has their eyes on" where the strike group will go next.

"I love the flexibility of our strike group, and it's great to know we'll be operating and learning from our allies in the North Sea."

The Strait of Dover is the narrowest part of the English Channel, which separates the Atlantic Ocean and the North Sea – where the strike group operated during a deployment in 2018.

This included time operating above the Arctic Circle, in the Norwegian Sea, for the Nato exercise Trident Juncture.

Rear Admiral Sean Bailey, commander of the Harry S Truman Carrier Strike Group, said the group's transit and deployment "underscores our commitment to maritime security and the Nato alliance".

"We will operate with our Nato allies and partners to strengthen our collective readiness, defence, and deterrence," he said.

"No nation can confront today's challenges alone, and we look forward to showcasing our interoperability."

The Carrier Strike Group will support US Naval Forces Europe's operations, with the Ford-class aircraft carrier last operating in the North Sea in 2023.

This saw it become the first aircraft carrier to visit Oslo, Norway, since 1958.