Listen to the audio version of the article
Goodbye Mediterranean. After eight months, the three US naval ships of the Bataan Amphibious Ready Group – composed of the aircraft carrier Bataan (LHD 5), the dock landing ship Carter Hall (LSD-50) and the amphibious transport dock ship Mesa Verde (LPD-19) – along with the embarked 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), they are headed towards the Atlantic to return home to bases in Norfolk, Virginia, and Camp LeJeune, North Carolina.
The deployment after the crisis in Gaza
The Bataan and Carter Hall, with around 3,000 sailors and Marines, arrived in the Middle East in August to counter Iran’s attempts to seize commercial ships in the Persian Gulf. Mesa Verde, together with the 26th MEU Command on board, had instead taken part in exercises in the Baltic Sea. With the outbreak of the crisis in Gaza, since December the three ships have moved to the eastern Mediterranean where they have conducted training and operations of the US Sixth Fleet (assigned to the Naveur-Navaf, the US Naval Forces Europe-Africa based in Naples) «a support the stability and maritime security of allies”. Translated from the official statement: to prevent the conflict from spreading to the entire Middle East.
European marine forces alone
What happens now? With the departure of the ships, preceded by that of the nuclear super aircraft carrier Gerard R. Ford, there are no longer any US naval units in the Mediterranean capable of launching combat aircraft, as had been ensured for the last two years, i.e. since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. The consequence is that it is up to European forces to guarantee the protection of NATO’s Southern Front. Now, in particular, the navies of Italy, France and Turkey would have to guard the area, without the US shield.
For the USA, exercise in Japan
Few means compared to too many fronts, for the Pentagon. From the Houthi threat to the Indo-Pacific, with China’s shadow, the scenarios to be supported are multiplying. Just yesterday, a statement from the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) informed of a bilateral exercise with the US Navy to “strengthen the capacity of the Japan-US alliance” in tactical and interoperability terms. Exercises will be held until March 16th. For the United States there are the aircraft carrier America, the amphibious transport ship Green Bay, the minehunter Warrior, the landing craft LCAC and the MH-60S helicopter.