US Navy aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman and its associated carrier strike group are getting underway from Norfolk on Wednesday to start a deployment to the Mediterranean Sea and Middle East.
Ships accompanying the aircraft carrier include guided-missile cruiser USS Normandy (CG 60), guided-missile destroyers USS Arleigh Burke (DDG 51), USS Bulkeley (DDG 84), USS Forrest Sherman (DDG 98) and USS Farragut (DDG 99).
In addition to US Navy ships, the group will be joined by German air defense frigate FGS Hessen for the first half of the deployment.
Guided-missile destroyers USS Jason Dunham (DDG 109) and USS The Sullivans (DDG 68) will join the strike group at a future date.
While deployed, the strike group will operate in the US 5th and 6th Fleet areas of responsibility conducting maritime security operations and theater security cooperation efforts.
The carrier strike group is slated to replace the USS Theodore Roosevelt in the Med after it completed four months of operations in the Persian Gulf.