The USS Tripoli can carry dozens of helicopters, MV-22 Osprey aircraft, and F-35B Joint Strike Fighter jets, bringing significant air and amphibious strike capability into active operations.
Key Points
- The USS Tripoli has entered West Asia with 3,500 Marines, boosting US combat presence.
- It brings major air and amphibious capabilities, including F-35B jets and Osprey aircraft.
- The USS Gerald R Ford is currently out of the Iran theatre due to technical issues.
- The USS George H W Bush is heading to the region, potentially raising carrier count to three.
- Under Operation Epic Fury, the US claims 11,000+ combat flights and significant strikes on Iranian military assets.
The USS Tripoli, carrying around 3,500 US Marines, has entered the United States Central Command (CENTCOM) area of responsibility, marking the deployment of one of America's largest amphibious assault ships into an active combat theatre in West Asia amid the ongoing conflict.
The vessel, deployed from its home base in Japan, arrived in the region on March 27, CENTCOM said in a post on X.
The America-class amphibious assault ship serves as the flagship of the Tripoli Amphibious Ready Group and the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit.
Nearly the size of an aircraft carrier, it can carry dozens of helicopters, MV-22 Osprey aircraft, and F-35B Joint Strike Fighter jets, bringing significant air and amphibious strike capability into active operations.
With this deployment, the USS Tripoli joins US nuclear-powered aircraft carriers already operating in the region, including the USS Nimitz-class and USS Gerald R Ford-class carriers.
USS Gerald R Ford hit by fire, plumbing issues
Meanwhile, the USS Gerald R Ford, the world's largest aircraft carrier, is currently anchored at the Port of Split as of March 29, following a transit from Souda Bay, where it underwent resupply, refuelling, and repairs between March 23 and 26.
Reports indicate the carrier has been taken out of the Iran theatre due to a fire in its laundry facilities and ongoing plumbing issues, with potential downtime extending up to a year.
Separately, the USS George H W Bush carrier strike group has departed Norfolk and is heading towards West Asia, a move that could raise the number of US aircraft carriers in the region to three, according to US officials cited by media reports.
Over 150 Iranian vessels destroyed: CENTCOM
CENTCOM also provided updates on Operation Epic Fury, the US military campaign against Iran.
Since February 28, US forces have conducted over 11,000 combat flights and reportedly damaged or destroyed more than 150 Iranian vessels.
Targets have included facilities linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, air defence systems, missile sites, naval assets, and weapons production infrastructure.
The developments come amid continued diplomatic engagement between Washington, DC and Tehran following recent escalation in the region.
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