The U.S. 6th Fleet command-and-control ship USS Mount Whitney is heading to the Eastern Mediterranean Sea to support U.S. operations there, the Navy announced Wednesday, as tensions escalate in the region amid war between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas.
The Italy-based flagship left Wednesday and will join other U.S. assets — including two aircraft carrier strike groups and an amphibious assault ship — already dispatched to the Eastern Mediterranean in support of Israel and to halt a broader conflict from erupting.
Sixth Fleet did not specify what Mount Whitney would be doing once it arrived on station.
But the 52-year-old Mount Whitney serves as a command ship sporting sophisticated command, control, communications and intelligence capabilities, according to the Navy.
It allows an embarked commander to direct air, ground and maritime units from one location and can move and process large amounts of data.
In the event of an attack on Israel by its adversaries, the ship can serve as a central command hub, coordinating U.S. naval responses, providing real-time intelligence, and ensuring seamless communication between various assets in the region.
With its onboard MH-60S Knight Hawk, reconnaissance and rapid response operations can be conducted to gather intelligence and potentially deliver special forces if required.
Mount Whitney was the tactical command hub directing operations for NATO’s Operation Unified Protector and the U.S. military’s Operation Odyssey Dawn against the Libyan regime in 2011.
Currently off the coast of Israel and Gaza is the Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group, which arrived in the eastern Mediterranean last week. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin ordered the carrier to head to the region following the Oct. 7 attack on Israel by Hamas, and Israel’s retaliatory strikes.
It’s unclear how long the carrier will remain off the coast of Israel before returning to its homeport in Norfolk, Virginia. The Pentagon announced Tuesday that Austin approved an extension of the Ford’s deployment — slated to conclude shortly — so it could remain in the region longer.
Additionally, the aircraft carrier Dwight D. Eisenhower and its carrier strike group got underway on Saturday for a regularly scheduled deployment, and are poised to join the Ford shortly in waters off Israel and the Palestinian Gaza Strip.
MARINES AND AIR FORCE
Likewise, the amphibious assault ship Bataan, along with its embarked 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit, is on its way to Israel.
In addition to the deployed assets, the Defense Department announced Tuesday that it had placed around 2,000 troops on heightened alert to potentially deploy.
The 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit, which consists of about 2,000 Marines and sailors, also has left the Gulf of Oman, where it had been operating. That force includes a mix of infantry, aviation and logistics components.
“Positioned at sea, the 26th MEU is equipped to execute amphibious missions, respond to crisis and engage in limited contingency operations across a spectrum of military scenarios,” Singh said.
The Marines plan to link up with the Navy’s two assigned carrier strike groups.
The Air Force also has deployed additional squadrons of F-15, F-16 and A-10 fighter aircraft to the Middle East.
They include about 400 airmen from the RAF Lakenheath, England-based 48th Fighter Wing and 494th Fighter Squadron, which had plans to deploy prior to the Israel-Hamas war.
(U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Ford Williams/Released)
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