MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 07th August, 2023) Two US ships with 3,000 troops on board have arrived in middle Eastern waters to provide "greater flexibility" to US naval forces stationed in the region, the US navy said on Monday.
"More than 3,000 U.S. Sailors and Marines of the Bataan Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) and 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) arrived in the Middle East, Aug. 6, as part of a pre-announced Department of Defense deployment," the Naval Forces Central Command said, adding that the reinforcement includes "additional aviation and naval assets."
Amphibious assault ship USS Bataan and dock landing ship USS Carter Hall arrived in the Red Sea from the Mediterranean Sea via the Suez Canal, the statement read.
The Pentagon announced reinforcement plans for its Gulf-stationed fleet in July, citing alleged Iranian threats to international navigation. It said USS Bataan and USS Carter Hall will join USS Thomas Hudner, F-16 and F-35 jets of the US 5th Fleet, whose area of operation encompasses approximately 2.5 million square miles and includes parts of the Indian Ocean and the Red Sea.
