The Ford’s first deployment comes five years after it was commissioned. They use an electromagnetic system for launching planes, which replace steam catapults and are supposed to increase flying missions by a third. They’re designed to carry a wider variety of planes and operate with several hundred fewer sailors. The $13.3 billion warship - the nation’s most expensive - is the first of the Navy’s new Ford class of aircraft carriers. Despite the USS Ford’s well-publicized problems, he said it’s still part of a larger display of the nation’s military might. “We’re also showing Russia that there are an array of forces they’d have to deal with if they go beyond Ukraine or escalate in Ukraine in ways we find unacceptable,” said Martin, a retired Navy captain.Īmerican aircraft carriers demonstrate the U.S.’s unique ability to dispatch warplanes around the world, Martin said. Concerns about Russia are part of the mission’s broader calculus. Last week, Russian President Vladimir Putin threatened to send more troops into battle and potentially use nuclear weapons to ward off Ukraine’s attempt to reclaim control of Moscow-occupied areas.īradley Martin, a senior policy researcher with the RAND Corporation, told The Associated Press that next week’s exercises will showcase American military capabilities and support for NATO. Western countries, including the U.S., have provide weapons to Ukraine, increasing tensions with the Kremlin. Next week’s exercises come seven months after Russia invaded Ukraine. has sharpened its focus on the North Atlantic in recent years after the Russian military ramped up operations to a pace not seen since the end of the Cold War. East Coast and the Barents Sea, off of the coasts of Norway and Russia. Navy’s 2nd Fleet, which oversees American warships as they deploy between the U.S. “Our primary goal is to contribute to a peaceful, stable and conflict-free Atlantic region through the combined naval power of our Allies and partners.”ĭwyer commands the U.S. “The Atlantic is an area of strategic interest,” Vice Admiral Daniel Dwyer said in a statement. The carrier strike group will join ships in the Atlantic Ocean from countries that include France, Germany and Sweden for various exercises, including anti-submarine warfare. Ford leaves the world’s largest Navy base in Norfolk, Virginia, Monday along with destroyers and other warships, the U.S. Navy’s most advanced aircraft carrier embarks on its first deployment next week and will train with other NATO countries at a time of increasing Russian aggression in Ukraine. (AP) - Following years of delays and problems with its new technology, the U.S.
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