The United States announced this week it’s sending in an extra aircraft carrier to the Persian Gulf area — at the same time Russian authorities say they’ve dispatched some more military craft to the same region.
U.S. officials said in CBS that the Navy is adding an aircraft carrier. The USS Harry S Truman was dispatched to the Arabian Sea, in a scheduled replacement of the USS Nimitz. But rather than sending the Nimitz home, as intended, the Navy ordered it to remain in the Indian Ocean, CBS reported.
At the same time, Russian news reported that Moscow sent an anti-submarine ship and a cruise to the Mediterranean in order to prepare for a “well-known situation” in the area — a subtle reference to Syria.
U.S. officials downplayed the deployment move, saying the Navy was only being cautious and that the stay of the Nimitz does not necessarily mean a strike or military action is imminent.
CBS noted the United States used to maintain a two-carrier presence in the area, until February’s budget cuts.
Meanwhile, CBS said a British and U.S. submarine are currently in the Mediterranean, as well as four U.S. destroyers. Another U.S. destroyer — all five of which are armed with cruise missiles — is en route to the region, CBS said.
• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
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