- By Mayukh Debnath
- Wed, 11 Oct 2023 01:41 PM (IST)
- Source:ANI
Israel-Palestine War: US Navy aircraft carrier USS Gerald R Ford, along with its strike group, has arrived in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea, US Central Command said in a press release on Wednesday. The US military said the move was aimed at deterring "any actor seeking to escalate the situation or widen" the ongoing armed conflict between Israel and Palestinian militant outfit Hamas.
The strike group of the US aircraft carrier comprises eight squadrons of attack and support aircraft, Ticonderoga class guided missile cruiser USS Normandy, Arleigh Burke class guided missile destroyers USS Thomas Hudner, USS Ramage, USS Carney, and USS Roosevelt, the US Central Command informed.
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"The arrival of these highly capable forces to the region is a strong signal of deterrence should any actor hostile to Israel consider trying to take advantage of this situation," said General Michael Kurilla, commander of the US Central Command stated.
Earlier, the US deployed additional fighter jets in the Middle East with the stated purpose of supporting Israeli forces in the wake of the latest outbreak of hostilities in the region. "We have also taken steps to augment US Air Force F-35, F-15, F-16, and A-10 fighter aircraft squadrons in the region," US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin said on Sunday.
(Representative Image. Credits: Canva)
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"Strengthening our joint force posture, in addition to the materiel support that we will rapidly provide to Israel, underscores the United States' ironclad support for the Israel Defense Forces and the Israeli people," he had added. Washington has voiced unequivocal support for Israel in the ongoing war.
On Tuesday evening (local time), an aircraft carrying American weapons landed at the Nevatim Airbase in southern Israel, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) informed while hailing military ties between Israel and the US.
"The first plane carrying U.S. armaments has since arrived at the Nevatim Airbase in southern Israel this evening. The cooperation between our militaries is a key part of ensuring regional security and stability in times of war," the IDF said in a post on social media platform X (formerly Twitter).
(With inputs from ANI)
