FIRST ON FOX: Morale is said to be high as the aircraft carrier the USS George Washington has arrived in the Arabian Sea near the vital Strait of Hormuz and close to Iran.Â
The carrier, CVN 73, has replaced the USS Abraham Lincoln. Fresh from a visit to Vietnam three weeks ago, the 5,000 sailors aboard this mobile airfield, base to approximately nine operational squadrons of advanced strike fighters, electronic attack planes and helicopter assets are, according to senior officers, ready and willing to carry out their new mission.
“Morale aboard USS George Washington remains high among our sailors,” Capt. Nicholas DeLeo, the ships Commanding Officer, told Fox News Digital. He added “I see this as I walk the deck plates, seeing them take pride in their work â whether conducting flight operations, maintaining our systems or supporting one another on the ship. The dedication and teamwork I see across the ship is outstanding, and that spirit keeps us ready and resilient.”
The George Washington, a Nimitz-class carrier, is the flagship of Carrier Strike Group (CSG) 5, and is reported to be accompanied by several warships, including the guided missile cruiser USS Robert Smalls (CG 62) and the guided missile destroyer USS Shoup (DDG 86).
Commander of Carrier Strike Group Five, Rear Adm. Jeff Heames, told Fox News Digital “The teams aboard USS George Washington and Carrier Strike Group Five are ready, determined, and resourced for sustained operations. Our Sailors understand the importance of the mission and continue to execute with precision and professionalism every day.”
With the carrier group now operating in the Middle East, it falls under US Central Command (CENTCOM). The commands former Commander, Gen. Joseph Votel, (Ret.), recently told Fox News America Reports about the George Washingtons expected mission, saying “Being able to continue to have credible military capability in the Middle East is really important, so the arrival of the George Washington is I think a good example of that.”
Votel continued, “Were going to have to be prepared, because this is probably going to take some time, to continue to bring forces into the region, we want them to be at a high level of readiness.”
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Flight operations continue, both day and night. Launching into the skies off Iran from the George Washington, aircraft based on board are reported to be F/A-18E/F Super Hornet multirole strike fighters, F-35C Lightning II fifth-generation stealth multirole fighters, EA-18G Growler electronic warfare aircraft and E-2D Advanced Hawkeye airborne early warning and control.
Also onboard are said to be MH-60S Seahawk & MH-60R Seahawk multi-mission helicopters for anti-submarine warfare and search-and-rescue.
This past week, a historic landing on the George Washington. Navy Lt. Steven Frazier, a pilot from Strike Fighter Squadron 147, the Argonauts, made the 200,000th trap – landing on the ship in an F-35C Lightning II fighter jet, with his stealth fighter caught by a thick, steel arresting gear cable with the jets tail hook.
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