USS Dwight D Eisenhower: All you need to know about US carrier heading to Middle East
A second aircraft carrier has been deployed by the United States to the eastern Mediterranean as tensions in the Middle East continue to escalate.
The USS Dwight D Eisenhower was sent to the region to "deter hostile actions against Israel or any efforts toward widening this war following Hamas's attack on Israel", according to the US Secretary of Defense.
The vessel will head to the region alongside a Carrier Strike Group, which includes USS Philippine Sea, a guided-missile cruiser, USS Gravely and USS Mason, both guided-missile destroyers, and Carrier Air Wing 3, which includes nine aircraft squadrons.
Described by the US Navy as its "finest five-star aircraft carrier", the USS Dwight D Eisenhower was commissioned in 1977 before heading out on her maiden deployment the following year.
The ship is a nuclear-powered Nimitz-class aircraft carrier, designed for a 50-year service life with mid-life refuelling.
Built in Virginia, the ship cost roughly $8.5bn to construct.
It is powered by two nuclear reactors and has a top speed of 30+ knots (34.5+ miles per hour).
Nimitz-class carriers, of which there are 10, are 1,092ft long with a beam, or width, of 134ft.
They are crewed by 3,000 to 3,200 navy personnel, 1,500 aircrew and 500 other staff, and can carry approximately 60 aircraft.
The USS Dwight D Eisenhower strike group will be the second the US has sent to the eastern Mediterranean region following the USS Gerald R Ford – the world's biggest warship.
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