The U.S. aircraft carrier Dwight D. Eisenhower and the assigned Carrier Strike Group conducted strike missions in Iraq in support of Operation Inherent Resolve from the Eastern Mediterranean Sea on June 28, the U.S. Navy said.
The Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group entered the Mediterranean Sea June 13, and will continue to conduct strikes against ISIL operators and infrastructure in support of Operation Inherent Resolve.
Operation Inherent Resolve is a U.S. and partner nations initiative in the region and around the globe to eliminate the terrorist group ISIL and the threat they pose to the region and the wider international community.
“When and where we operate an aircraft carrier sends a strong signal. As demonstrated by Truman, and now Ike, a carrier strike group can effectively counter ISIL, reassure our allies and deter adversaries all from the Eastern Mediterranean,” Vice Adm. James Foggo III , Commander, U.S. 6th Fleet, said.
USS Dwight D. Eisenhower entered Europe to replace another Nimitz-class carrier, the USS Harry S. Truman which will soon return home after achieving a double operational milestone in the fight against ISIL.
The first milestone Truman achieved was the 9,000th arrested landing with the trap of an F/A-18C Super Hornet on June 16. Three days later the ship’s flight deck launched the 2,000th aircraft mission in support of Operation Inherent Resolve.