US Navy deploys second carrier to strike Yemen’s Houthi rebels

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US Navy deploys second carrier to strike Yemen’s Houthi rebels

On a recent Friday, the U.S. Navy’s nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson, leading its carrier strike group, sailed through the Malacca Strait, embarking on a critical journey from the Western Pacific to the Middle East.

This deployment, ordered by U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, aims to reinforce the USS Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group in operations against Yemen’s Houthi rebels, who have escalated attacks on shipping lanes in the Red Sea.

The move comes as part of an intensified American military campaign in the region, with the Vinson expected to arrive in less than two weeks to bolster U.S. Central Command’s efforts.

This significant naval maneuver underscores Washington’s determination to counter the growing threat posed by the Iran-backed Houthis and maintain stability in a vital maritime corridor.

The USS Carl Vinson, a Nimitz-class aircraft carrier, is a floating fortress of American military might. Commissioned in 1982, this 1,092-foot-long vessel displaces over 100,000 tons fully loaded and can carry up to 90 aircraft, including fighters, helicopters, and support planes.

For this mission, it sails with Carrier Air Wing 2 embarked, a versatile unit equipped with some of the Navy’s most advanced aircraft. Among them is the F-35C Lightning II, a fifth-generation stealth fighter designed for precision strikes and air superiority, capable of carrying 18,000 pounds of ordnance over distances exceeding 600 miles.

Complementing the F-35C is the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, a twin-engine multirole fighter known for its reliability and adaptability, able to deliver guided munitions like the Joint Direct Attack Munition [JDAM] with pinpoint accuracy. These aircraft provide the Vinson with long-range strike capabilities, critical for targeting Houthi positions deep within Yemen from the safety of international waters.

The air wing also includes EA-18G Growlers for electronic warfare, disrupting enemy radar and communications, and E-2D Hawkeyes for airborne early warning, extending the strike group’s situational awareness across hundreds of miles.

Accompanying the Vinson are several warships that enhance its operational reach and defensive posture. The guided-missile cruiser USS Princeton [CG-59], a Ticonderoga-class vessel, brings the Aegis Combat System to the group, a sophisticated network of radar and missile launchers capable of tracking and engaging multiple aerial threats simultaneously. Its SM-6 missiles can intercept aircraft, drones, and even ballistic missiles at ranges exceeding 150 miles.

The destroyer USS Sterett [DDG-104], an Arleigh Burke-class ship, adds further firepower with its own Aegis system, Tomahawk cruise missiles for land attack, and anti-submarine warfare capabilities courtesy of its embarked MH-60R Seahawk helicopters. These ships form a protective screen around the carrier, ensuring it can operate unhindered while projecting power ashore.

Compared to other naval powers, such as Russia’s aging Admiral Kuznetsov or China’s Liaoning, the Vinson’s strike group offers unmatched technological sophistication and combat endurance, a testament to decades of American investment in carrier aviation.

The journey to the Middle East is no simple transit. The Malacca Strait, a narrow waterway between the Malay Peninsula and the Indonesian island of Sumatra, serves as a choke point for global trade, with over 80,000 vessels passing through annually. For the Vinson strike group, navigating this 500-mile-long corridor presents logistical and tactical challenges.

The strait’s shallow waters and heavy traffic demand precise coordination, while its strategic importance makes it a potential hotspot for surveillance or interference by regional actors like China, which maintains a strong naval presence in the nearby South China Sea.

According to a report from USNI News, the Vinson’s passage was tracked via Automatic Identification System [AIS] data and confirmed by ship spotters as it moved through the Singapore Strait before heading north through the Malacca Strait. Securing this route requires constant vigilance, with the strike group’s helicopters and radar systems on alert for any threats, from small boats to electronic jamming attempts.

Once in the Indian Ocean, the Vinson will cover thousands of miles to reach the Red Sea, a timeline that highlights the urgency of its mission. The two-week transit reflects a calculated balance between speed and sustainability, allowing the crew to maintain readiness while conserving fuel and resources for the 5,000 sailors aboard.

This rapid redeployment from the Pacific to the Middle East also underscores the Navy’s global flexibility, a capability few militaries can match. The decision to send a second carrier to join the Truman, already engaged in strikes against Houthi targets, signals an escalation in U.S. efforts to degrade the rebels’ ability to disrupt shipping.

As Chief Pentagon Spokesman Sean Parnell noted in a statement, “Secretary Hegseth continues to make clear that, should Iran or its proxies threaten American personnel and interests in the region, the United States will take decisive action to defend our people”.

The Houthis, a Shia militant group controlling much of western Yemen, have evolved from a localized insurgency into a formidable regional threat. Since late 2023, they have targeted commercial vessels in the Red Sea with drones, cruise missiles, and ballistic missiles, often in solidarity with Palestinians amid the Israel-Hamas conflict.

Their arsenal, bolstered by Iranian support, includes the Quds-1 cruise missile, with a range of about 500 miles, and low-cost Shahed-136 drones, similar to those used by Russia in Ukraine. These weapons, while not as advanced as U.S. systems, exploit asymmetry—cheap, numerous, and hard to detect—posing a persistent challenge to naval defenses.

A notable example came earlier this month when the Houthis claimed to have launched a combined missile and drone attack on the USS Harry S. Truman in the Red Sea, though the U.S. Navy has not confirmed any damage. This growing sophistication has forced American planners to adapt, relying on layered defenses like the Aegis system and Growler jamming to counter the threat.

For the Vinson and Truman strike groups, this means a complex operational environment. The carriers’ air wings must conduct precision strikes on Houthi launch sites, command posts, and weapon caches, often located in rugged terrain or urban areas.

The F-35C’s stealth and sensor fusion give it an edge in identifying targets obscured by Yemen’s mountainous landscape, while the Super Hornet’s larger payload can deliver heavier ordnance against fortified positions. Meanwhile, the destroyers and cruisers stand ready to intercept incoming missiles or drones, a task made harder by the Houthis’ use of decoys and swarming tactics.

The Institute for the Study of War reported that the Houthis conducted three such combined attacks on the Truman in a single day, highlighting the intensity of the current campaign.

Beyond the immediate fight, the deployment of two carriers sends a broader message. The Middle East has long been a proving ground for U.S. naval power, from the Gulf War in 1991, when carriers like the USS Theodore Roosevelt launched hundreds of sorties, to Operation Enduring Freedom in 2001, where the Vinson itself played a key role in early strikes on Afghanistan.

Today, with the Truman and Vinson together, the Navy projects a force capable of sustained operations across multiple fronts. This presence not only targets the Houthis but also serves as a deterrent to Iran, which backs the rebels and has threatened retaliation.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei recently warned of a “firm retaliatory strike” against any U.S. or Israeli action, a statement that looms large as tensions over Tehran’s nuclear program simmer.

Other powers are watching closely. China, with its expanding navy, including the carrier Shandong recently active in the South China Sea, benefits indirectly as the Vinson’s departure from the Pacific shifts U.S. focus westward.

Russia, too, has shown interest, with Navy jets from the Vinson intercepting a Russian spy plane near the carrier in the Sea of Japan earlier this month, a reminder of global competition even amid regional crises. The dual-carrier presence in the Middle East could thus mark a return to “carrier diplomacy,” where sheer military might shape adversaries’ calculations without a shot fired.

Yet the human element remains critical. The Vinson’s 5,000 sailors, alongside the Truman’s crew, face grueling conditions as this deployment accelerates an already demanding schedule. Long hours on flight decks, constant threat alerts, and separation from families test their resilience.

The Navy has a storied history of enduring such strains—during the 1991 Gulf War, carrier crews maintained a 90% sortie rate over 38 days—but today’s pace, with near-daily strikes on Yemen, pushes the limits. Psychologically, the uncertainty of facing an unpredictable foe like the Houthis, whose low-tech ingenuity defies conventional warfare, adds another layer of stress.

Physically, the maintenance of aircraft and systems in the Red Sea’s harsh climate, with its heat and sand, demands relentless effort. These factors will determine how long the Navy can sustain this two-carrier posture without compromising readiness elsewhere.

The arrival of the USS Carl Vinson in the Middle East reflects both the evolution of modern conflict and America’s enduring commitment to securing its interests. The Houthis, with their drones and missiles, represent a new breed of adversary—one that leverages simplicity to challenge sophistication.

The Vinson and Truman, with their cutting-edge technology and seasoned crews, embody the U.S. response: overwhelming force tempered by precision. Yet as this campaign unfolds, questions linger. Can airpower alone subdue a resilient insurgency rooted in Yemen’s complex tribal and political landscape?

And what happens if Iran escalates, turning a regional skirmish into a wider confrontation? For now, the carriers stand as sentinels, their aircraft roaring into the night, a symbol of resolve—and a reminder of the stakes in an increasingly volatile world.

Bulgarian Military

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