US Navy’s Harry S. Truman carrier strike group (HSTCSG) has completed the final pre-deployment exercise and is now officially ready to deploy.
The group returned to Naval Station Norfolk on March 1 after completing their composite training unit exercise (COMPTUEX).
HSTCSG got underway Feb. 1, to carry out the a series of training scenarios that tested the strike group’s abilities in multiple categories including air warfare, strait transiting, visual information, responses to surface and subsurface contacts, electronic attacks and more.
During their work-up cycle, Harry S. Truman CSG ships were supported by another Nimitz-class aircraft carrier, USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72), from Feb. 25 to March 2.
According to Rear Adm. Kenny Whitesell, commander of Abraham Lincoln CSG 4, which mentored and assessed HSTCSG throughout the exercise, COMPTUEX provided dynamic learning opportunities for the strike group.
“Every COMPTUEX is a little bit different,” said Whitesell. “We are a learning organization. Unfortunately, our threats are adapting as fast as we learn. This requires us to increase the complexity, the volume, and the difficulty of the exercise so that we prepare the Harry S. Truman strike group and its coalition partners for deployment.”
US Navy ships constituting the group were joined by Royal Norwegian Navy frigate HNoMS Roald Amundsen (F 311) and the German Sachsen-class frigate FGS Hessen (F 221) for the drill. FGS Hessen is also scheduled to deploy to the Mediterranean Sea together with the group later in the year.
Truman is currently moored at Naval Station Norfolk conducting preparations for deployment.