US Navy F/A-18 Super Hornets, operating from the aircraft carrier Dwight D. Eisenhower, successfully intercepted and neutralized a Houthi rebel attack in the Red Sea.

On Wednesday 10th, a total of 18 drones, two cruise missiles, and an anti-ship missile were downed by the F/A-18 Super Hornets from the Dwight D. Eisenhower, alongside the destroyers Gravely, Mason, Laboon, and the British warship HMS Diamond. The Houthi rebels, based in Yemen, targeted ships in the Red Sea with this barrage, although no damage was reported.

This incident marks the 26th attack by Houthi rebels on commercial shipping routes in the Red Sea since November 19, according to the US Central Command. The attack occurred off the Yemeni port cities of Hodeida and Mokha. Vessels in the area were cautioned to proceed at maximum speed and transit with caution, reporting any suspicious activity, as advised by the UK Marine Trade Operations.

While the Houthi rebels did not formally claim responsibility for the attacks, anonymous Houthi military officials indicated that their forces had "targeted a ship linked to Israel in the Red Sea."

These assaults have consistently targeted ships in the Red Sea, a critical passage connecting the Middle East and Asia to Europe via the Suez Canal, including the narrow Bab el-Mandeb Strait. The strait, only 29 kilometers wide at its narrowest point, handles a substantial portion of global maritime trade, with nearly 10% of all oil traded at sea passing through it, representing an estimated $1 trillion in goods annually.

To counter these attacks, a US-led coalition of nations has been actively patrolling the Red Sea. Despite warnings from the US, there has been no widespread retaliatory strike, although American troops were involved in a previous incident where Houthi vessels were sunk, and 10 rebel fighters were killed.

Simultaneously, a tentative cease-fire between the Houthi rebels and a Saudi-led coalition supporting Yemen’s exiled government has held for months. The concern now is that any escalation in sea conflict or potential reprisal from Western forces could reignite tensions in Yemen, the poorest nation in the Arab world, and jeopardize the fragile cease-fire.

F-35C Kick off Second Phase of At Sea Development Testing

USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) (Ike) accomplished its first arrested landing of an F-35C Lightning II carrier variant, Oct. 2.
The arrested landing is part of the second phase of at-sea Developmental Testing (DT-II) for the F-35C, which is expected to last two weeks. These test phases ensure aircraft meet specifications and identify mission critical issues sufficiently early in the test phase to deliver fully capable aircraft in time for their scheduled initial operating capability (IOC).
The purpose of DT-II is to test the suitability and integration of the F-35C in an at-sea environment. The F-35 Patuxent River Integrated Test Force (ITF) will run through a series of tests designed to increase the aircraft's operability at sea. The Ike crew partnered with the Patuxent River ITF test team to ensure the ship was prepared to receive the aircraft.
navy.mil

General Dynamics to Make More Upgrades on USS Eisenhower

General Dynamics, was awarded an $82.5 million modification to an undefinitized contract to perform maintenance and upgrade work on the nuclear aircraft carrier USS Eisenhower (CVN 69) while it is in dry dock. General Dynamics is expected to complete work on this contract by November 2014.
Originally built by Northrop Grumman -- now Huntington Ingalls -- the Eisenhower first launched in October 1975, was commissioned in 1977, and is expected to remain in service through at least 2025.
fool.com

Thousands of US troops arrive near Syrian shore on USS Eisenhower

The USS Eisenhower, an American aircraft carrier that holds eight fighter bomber squadrons and 8,000 men, arrived at the Syrian coast yesterday in the midst of a heavy storm, indicating US preparation for a potential ground intervention.

nosint

rt.com

Avión Iraní voló cerca del USS Eisenhower/Iranian navy plane flies near USS Eisenhower in Gulf of Oman

Un avión de patrulla marítima de la Armada de Irán, se aproximó el pasado 21-04-10, al portaaviones USS Eisenhower, volando a unos 300 pies de altura.
El incidente se produjo al inicio de las maniobras militares que desarrollaba Irán en esas fechas para mostrar sus capacidades militares.
El Eisenhower navegaba por el golfo de Omán en apoyo de la operación en Afganistán, cuando la aeronave se acercó hasta unas 1.000 yardas del buque.
El encuentro no supuso una amenaza. Aunque es normal que aviones iraníes y norteamericanos se encuentren en la zona del Golfo Pérsico, no es habitual que el encuentro se produzca en zonas mas alejadas como es el Golfo de Omán.
El Almirante Gary Roughead, el oficial de mas alto rango de la US Navy, confirmó el incidente, pero declaró que "los iraníes no fueron provocativos o amenazantes, sino que el encuentro se produjo de manera profesional en el espacio aéreo internacional".
El radar del Eisenhower detectó el avión a unas 100 millas de distancia. Se trataba de un Fokker F27 desarmado, que permaneció en el área del Eisenhower unos 20 minutos.
La US Navy cree que Irán solo quería ver de cerca el portaaviones, sin confirmar si tomaron fotografías, y que solo pretendía mostrar sus capacidades a Estados Unidos, poniéndo énfasis en que el encuentro fue profesional y sin confrontación.
(cnn.com)
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An Iranian navy plane that approached a U.S. aircraft carrier last week was flying as low as 300 feet as it neared the USS Eisenhower, U.S. military officials said Wednesday.
The incident, first reported by CNN on Tuesday, came as Iran was beginning a series of military exercises last week meant to show off their military prowess.
The Eisenhower was on duty in the Gulf of Oman in the northern Arabian Sea, in support of the Afghanistan war efforts, when the Iranian maritime patrol aircraft flew within 1,000 yards of the vessel.
While the encounter was not threatening, it was unusual. U.S. navy ships have regularly encountered Iranian aircraft in the Persian Gulf in recent years, but this encounter took place in the Gulf of Oman, in an area where Iranian jets are seen much less frequently, several Navy officials said.
Adm. Gary Roughead, the top Navy officer, confirmed the April 21 incident. The Iranians were "not provocative or threatening. As long as they are professional and not threatening or reckless, it's international space," he said.
Radar on the Eisenhower and other U.S. ships in the vicinity closely tracked the Iranian aircraft as it approached the aircraft carrier to ensure it maintained a nonthreatening path. The Iranian plane was tracked by U.S. units for nearly 100 miles before it reached the Eisenhower.
The Iranian aircraft was a Fokker F27 that was unarmed. It remained in the vicinity of the Eisenhower for about 20 minutes before leaving the area.
U.S. officials believe the Iranians wanted a close look at the carrier, but they could not say if the Iranians took photos of the ship.
One of the officials also said Iran may simply have been trying to demonstrate its aerial capabilities to the United States.
U.S. military officials continue to emphasize that recent encounters with Iranian naval forces in the Persian Gulf have been professional and without confrontation or problems. The U.S. Navy takes great care to try to stay out of the way of any Iranian forces in the region.
(cnn.com)