Aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69) is back in the Red Sea and has been deployed for more than 200 days, according to USNI News Fleet and Marine Tracker data.
Ike transited the Suez Canal late last month, moving into the Mediterranean Sea after operating in the Red Sea for almost four months, USNI News previously reported. The carrier then stopped in Souda Bay, Crete, for its first publicly announced port call since departing on deployment in October.
“Members of the crew had the opportunity to get off the ship and experience Greek culture and traditions as well as utilize the installation’s Navy Exchange, medical clinic, ID card lab, and Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) services during their stay,” the Navy said in a news release about the port call in Greece.
“NSA Souda Bay’s MWR provided the Sailors food, beverage, and recreation services at the pier, and offered island tours. Ike Sailors could choose from historical sites, outdoor recreation, and local dining. Some of the activities included Imbros Gorge, Knossos Ancient Civilization Palace, Crete Golf Club, Lassithi Plateau, and more.”
The carrier, which left Norfolk, Va., on Oct. 14, has been deployed for nearly seven months. Ike and its escorts have been protecting the shipping lanes in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden from Houthi forces that have been consistently attacking commercial shipping since October. The carrier air wing and the carrier’s escorts have been consistently shooting down drones and missiles launched from Yemen, and firing on storage facilities inside Yemen.
The last three carriers that have deployed from the East Coast since December of 2021 have averaged 267 days deployed. USS Harry S. Truman (CVN-75) was deployed for 285 days, while USS George H.W. Bush (CVN-77) was deployed for 257 days. USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78), which came home in January from its maiden deployment that kept the ship mostly in the Mediterranean Sea, was deployed for 260 days. The Pentagon extended Ford‘s deployment three times, as the carrier was operating in the Mediterranean at the start of the Israel-Hamas conflict.
The Pentagon extended the deployment of Ike and some of its escorts, Navy officials confirmed to USNI News in early April.
