US Navy Repositions Carrier for Afghan Missions
The USS Abraham Lincoln has been repositioned from the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman, enabling its fleet of combat jets to carry out operations over Afghanistan, according to a US military statement made on July 8th.
Pakistani Airspace
The move was carried out so that the warplanes could fly to Afghanistan through the airspace above Pakistan – flights that – from the aircraft carrier’s previous position – would have not taken place due to local airspace limitations.
US Navy Fleet in Gulf
The US Navy frequently repositions its fleet of vessels deployed in this part of the world – an area where they act not just in support of the Afghan/ Iraqi conflicts, but also as a warning to Iran.
The decision, according to one official – the identity of whom has not been revealed – is simultaneously linked to deterioration in Afghanistan, and an improved security situation in Iraq.
Warships, Amphibious Assault Vessels
Even though the USS Abraham Lincoln is no longer in the Persian Gulf, a number of US Navy ships remain deployed there – warships and amphibious assault vessels among them.
According to an official, “significant air power” also remains inside Iraq.
F/A18 Super Hornets
The USS Abraham Lincoln arrived in the Gulf of Oman yesterday, with F/A18 Super Hornets and precision weapons among its firepower.
"This puts it in a position where it has ability to strike far inland", according to a US military spokesman.
Afghan Fatalities
US President George W. Bush referred to June 2008 in terms of the conflict in Afghanistan as a difficult month, attributing the high number of fatalities that took place within the allied coalition to the fact that “our troops are taking the fight to a tough enemy”, and adding “...of course there is going to be resistance."
Source – Armed Forces International’s Naval Expert
Recent related News Items:
US Military in Afghanistan -
Small-Arms Fire Downs US Blackhawk in Afghanistan
Four Allied Soldiers Killed in Afghan Bomb Explosion
